Infant, child first aid course could help save lives

AN infant and child first aid course on Sunday week will aim to provide essential practical advice and potentially life-saving information on how to keep kids away from harm.

The four-hour course will cover how to deal with a multitude of medical situations including understanding rashes, recognising respiratory distress, managing fevers, knowing when to seek help, and when to head to the emergency department.

It will also address what to do when faced with a baby or child choking, plus anaphylaxis, asthma, seizures, burns, bleeding and drowning, and how to administer CPR.

Convener Nicole Gleeson from Rhythm First Aid said the purpose of the half-day program is to not only provide information but to ease parental anxiety as well.

“Knowledge is power,” she said.

“Knowing up-to-date information of what to do in emergency situations can help you take a lot of the stress off when you’re feeling prepared and feeling capable.

“A lot of people walk around and have such significant health anxiety as a result of a number of factors, but we’re passionate about helping to alleviate that, giving you the right knowledge, giving you the skills to be able to take that anxiety away.”

Gleeson said child safety around the home isn’t about wrapping them up in bubble wrap.

“It’s about understanding the risks and benefits of different things and weighing that up as a parent, but also knowing how to rapidly respond in an emergency or an urgent situation,” she said.

The Infant + Child First Aid Course takes place on Sunday 17 May at the Emporium Creative Hub in Mitchell Street.

Reserve a spot at Eventbrite.