Courses on Infant and Child CPR

• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, often abbreviated as CPR, is one of the most important aspects of basic first aid. Its primary purpose is to provide oxygen to the injured person's brain while waiting for medical help to arrive. While the basic concept is the same, it is done differently for babies and children. For example, when administering CPR to infants or small children, compressions are only made with the fingers, instead of the entire hands as it would be when performed on an adult. These different methods are often taught separately.
  
  

Courses on First Aid for Choking

• Courses on first aid for choking should teach the parent or caregiver the signs that a child is choking and teach methods that help dislodge the object that the baby or child is choking on. This may include performing back blows or abdominal thrusts, also knows as the Heimlich maneuver.
  
  

General First Aid

• Babies and children may require other forms of first aid treatment besides CPR or first aid for choking. Sometimes children may be injured as a result of accidents such as falls, burns, and skin lesions. These incidents call for specific methods of treatment. For instance, burns should be treated with cold water, but if treating an infant, it is important that they don't become too cold overall as infants cannot regulate body temperature as adults can. It is not only important that caregivers know how to administer first aid, but are trained to assess a baby or child's condition.
  
  

Why Know First Aid?

• In emergency situations time can be a major factor regarding the ultimate outcome of the situation. Instead of precious seconds being wasted waiting for medical personnel to arrive, a person educated in first aid can begin administering treatment to the baby or child immediately. While some injuries are not life threatening, they can cause a someone who is not educated in basic first aid unnecessary stress and worry. According to the National Safety Council, 25 percent of trips to the emergency room could be avoided if people were educated on CPR and basic first aid.
  
  

Finding Baby and Child First Aid Courses

• There are a few ways to find courses that teach baby and child first aid. Some of the most detailed and informative courses can be found by contacting a local chapter of the Red Cross. Another idea is to contact local hospitals, which may offer free courses to those wishing to learn basic first aid care. Your local fire or volunteer fire department can be a good resource as well, as many teach first aid and often offer courses specifically related to babies and children.