Posted by Keri Hartwright Last updated 4th May 2021 reading time
A lot of first aid is all about preventing accidents in the first place as well as how to manage should something happen.
Simple things like
Sleeping practices
Dressing them for a trip in the car seat
Reducing the risk of choking
Running a bath 🛀
Heating your home, what temperature is right for the baby 👶
How to dress a baby so it is warm enough
This post will look at
Safer Sleeping 💤 practices
Dressing them for the car seat
Reducing the risk of choking
Safer Sleeping Practices
There is a lot of advice out there on new born sleep. It is a hot topic with most new parents. The Lullaby Trust have lots of advise on their website which is worth checking out. My main tips for safer sleeping are:
Keep the baby in the same room as you for 6 months if possible.
Sleep the baby on their back initially until they can safely move themselves with their feet at the bottom of the cot.
Keep the cot free from cot bumpers.
No duvet or pillows under 1.
Don’t over heat the baby – keep the room between 16 – 18 degrees for nighttime sleep with central heating off.
The Lullaby Trust has some great info on co sleeping safely as well as this works for many families.
Dressing the baby for the car seat
Deciding on car seats can be a minefield like anything else we buy for babies. Once you have got the seat all set up, another factor to consider is what they wear, as temperature management in babies can be a cause of concern for new parents.
When taking the baby in the car seat on a cold day try warming the car up before you set off if you are concerned. It is important not to put a coat or snow suit on the baby as this will alter the restraint from the car seat straps making it less effective. Dress them in normal clothes for the day, and then cover the car seat with a blanket once they are strapped in.
New born babies should not spend long periods of time in the car seat initially and if they are travelling we don’t want to over heat them or alter the safety of the seat you have chosen.
Reducing the risk of choking
Choking is something a lot of first time parents worry a lot about understandably. When weaning is set to start it can be a particularly worrying time.
Learning to eat and manage lumps etc is closely linked to speech development so it is important for their general development as well as their nourishment.
A big part of preventing choking is managing the associated risks. Here are some top tips:
watch them all the time they are eating
try to keep them seated as running around with food will increase their chances of choking
watch what little pieces are left lying around as young children explore their world through their mouth, so marbles, Lego, coins 🪙 and all sorts can end up in their mouths.
Cut their food up into reasonable sized pieces such as grapes 🍇, sausages, popcorn 🍿, blueberries 🫐, tomatoes 🍅. These are just a few examples of how you can make meal times a little safer.
Find out More
If you would like to find out more about how to manage any of these situations please get in touch and find out more about our first aid courses. We offer face to face courses in venues around South London including Avocado and Coffee in Greenwich. We can also visit you in your home.
In addition we have a great online option for new parents to do in their own time.
