More than two million children under the age of 15 experience accidents in and around the home every year and are taken to hospital.  Many more are treated by GPs and by parents and carers.

On average 62 children under the age of five died as a result of an accident and over 76.000 under  the age of 14  are admitted for treatment, of which over 40% are under 5 years of age. Those most at risk from a home accident are the 0-4 years age group.

Falls account for the majority of non-fatal accidents while the highest numbers of deaths are due to fire. Most of these accidents are preventable through increased awareness, education and improvements in the home environment and greater product safety.

The most severe injuries are associated with heat-related accidents and falls from a height. Older children are more likely to sustain fractures than younger counterparts. Younger children have a higher percentage of burns and scalds as well as poisoning and ingestion accidents.

Most accidents happen:

• Most happen between late afternoon and early evening, in the summer, during school holidays and at weekends.
• Factors such as stress, death in the family, chronic illness, homelessness or moving home increase the likelihood of the child having an accident.
• Some happen when the usual routine is changed or when people are in a hurry.
• Distractions and inadequate supervision are often the cause of accidents.
• Poor housing and overcrowded conditions can lead to increased numbers of accidents.
• Some accidents are caused by lack of familiarity with surroundings, for example, when visiting friends or relatives, or in holiday accommodation.

Suffocating and choking

Children can swallow, inhale, or choke on items such as small toys, peanuts, and marbles.

Babies and small children are most at risk from choking because they examine things around them by putting them in their mouths.

Education:

Would you know what to do if your child had a medical emergency at home? Most parents have little or no first aid knowledge, or the knowledge they have is out of date.  Education is key to the safety of all of us.

Knowing:

• What are the hazards within our homes?
• Using stair gates to prevent small children from falling.
• Attending parental sessions while pregnant.

These can all help ensure our home environments are safe for children to live in.

What about your first aid knowledge/skills

Prevention is better than cure, which is why at Willhan training we have developed a “bespoke “ parent and grandparent First Aid workshop for any parent/ grandparent to attend.

The feedback from our parents and grandparents who have attended has been amazing.

As a parent myself I have designed these 3 hour sessions with parents in mind and cover topics like meningitis, sepsis, choking and more to give you a basic knowledge of the signs & symptoms of certain conditions but also practical skills to use if a child in your care suffers a medical emergency in your home.

Our amazing feedback from parents.

“very informative, friendly environment, feel more confident now with hands-on experience”

“Great delivery really enjoyed & informative”.

“Covered common worries we had as parents the practical’s help remember” really enjoyed”

“Enjoyed the part about choking, really good course. The tutor encouraged questions which was good.”

“Enjoyed all of it. Especially the choking information and practical. Lots of useful information included”.

Sources  RSPCC .uk  Willhan Training. HSE .org. Copyright reserved April 2020