When Ebony first started eating solid foods, I was terrified of choking hazards. I wanted to try baby led weaning rather than purees, but needed to feel confident that I could handle an emergency situation. [In fact, baby led weaning is great because it gives babies the opportunity to try finger foods when their gagging reflex is nearer to the front of the mouth, reducing the risk of choking. As babies grow, the gagging reflex moves further to the back of the mouth.] I also wanted to know how to spot a real emergency. Babies are prone to gagging, but choking is much less common.
I signed up for a free pediatrics first aid course at my local Sure Start Centre when Ebony was just four months old. Laurie and Ebony came too, and we spent a couple of hours learning about first aid. It was interesting and by the end of the day I felt like I’d learnt a lot. I have, of course, forgotten most of it now, but I like to think the information is stored away in the shadowy recesses of my brain somewhere.
Luckily, it’s not hard to brush up on your skills. The UK’s leading first aid charity, St John Ambulance have got lots of information on their website including this great poster detailing five ways you can save your baby’s life. With the help of David Mitchell, David Walliams, Sir John Hurt and Johnny Vegas, they created a memorable video detailing what you should do if your baby is choking. In just 40 seconds, the animated short shows exactly what you should do in the event of choking.
St John Ambulance CEO, Sue Killen, said:‘Knowing what to do in an emergency can be the difference between life and death, especially with something like choking. We all know how time pressed parents are so this film makes it as easy as possible to learn first aid – in less than 40 seconds we can all know a skill that could save a life. We hope people watch and share the video with their friends and family so more people have the confidence to act in an emergency.’
St John’s Ambulance have kindly offered to giveaway a first aid kit to one lucky winner. All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is fill in the Rafflecopter below. The competition will close on Friday 13 November. Good luck!
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