A FIRST AID BLOG
BUT MAKE IT EMPOWERING (&ENJOYABLE!)
Choking prevention
Choking or airway obstruction is a medical emergency that happens when a foreign object such as a toy, household item or food obstructs the airway, making it difficult or impossible to breathe. Unfortunately younger children are at a higher
Defibrillation
An automatic external defibrillator (AKA an AED or defib for short) is a device that uses electricity to attempt to restart the heart in cardiac arrest. It does this by providing a shock to the heart in the hope
Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
CPR is a first aid technique needed when someone has stopped breathing and/or their heart has stopped beating. CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and is the act of manually pumping the heart via chest compressions while also delivering rescue
Cardiac Arrest
What is a cardiac arrest? A cardiac arrest means a person’s heart has stopped. When a cardiac arrest occurs the brain and other vital organs are unable to receive any oxygen. If someone has had a cardiac arrest they
Croup
What is Croup? Croup is a condition caused by a viral infection. The virus leads to swelling of the larynx (voicebox) and trachea (windpipe) resulting in narrowing of the airway which can make breathing difficult. Croup most commonly occurs
Burns first aid
Burns are a common injury among children, often occurring during everyday situations such as cooking, bathing and even playing outdoors. As parents we know burns can happen in a split second- which is why it is so important to
Hair Tourniqets
Ever heard of a hair tourniquet? No? Let us enlighten you! A hair tourniquet is a rare condition in which a hair becomes wrapped around a child’s finger, toe, limb or genitalia reducing or completely stopping the circulation of
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
Respiratory syncytial virus (aka RSV) is a respiratory virus that is one of the most frequent causes of the common cold. Any one of any age can catch RSV, in fact almost all children will have had it by
Nappy Rash
Nappy rash is a common rash that affects babies and children of nappy wearing age. In fact it is so common that over 50% of babies will experience it by the time they turn one, yikes! What causes nappy
Hand foot and mouth disease
Hand foot and mouth disease is a common and highly contagious, viral illness that mainly affects kids under 10 (although beware, it can affect older children and even adults). While HFMD is mainly caused by the coxsackie virus, there
Keeping kids sun safe
Ahhhh good old ‘straya, not only do we have a million and one animals and insects that can kill us, we also have one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. And here’s a confronting fact
Caring for kids with Covid
COVID-19 is a highly contagious respiratory virus caused by a type of coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. While children with certain risk factors such as immunosuppression, chronic disease, or obesity can become sicker with Covid, most of the time Covid symptoms
Our top 10 tips for travelling with kids
At Cradle and Kin we absolutely love to travel. Whether it be a road trip to the coast, an adventure interstate or a full blown month long, European escapade, we live for a holiday! When we had our babies
Head injuries
At Cradle and Kin, head injuries are a topic we are well and truly familiar with. In fact if head bumps were an olympic sport, our kids would be gold medalists. Whether it be running into walls, ‘flying’ off
Lets talk allergies
An allergy occurs when the immune system overreacts to something in the environment that is normally considered harmless. An allergic reaction usually happens within 20 minutes to 2 hours after an exposure to an allergen (also known as a
Gastro, every parents worst nightmare
Gastro, its one of those illnesses we all dread, and is it just us or is it everywhere at the moment? We know how hard it is caring for kids with gastro, especially with the stress of catching it
Keeping children safe around water
Us Aussies are so lucky to have access to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, lakes and rivers all on our front door step. Swimming and being around water is second nature to us. However, this also means
Not another rash!
A rash is a temporary outbreak of itchy, red, blistered, bumpy or scaly skin (delightful i know) that can appear when your child is sick or having an allergic reaction to something. Now I hate to be the bearer
Dehydration – what’s the deal?
What is dehydration? to put it simply, it’s a lack of hydration. Dehydration happens when the body doesn’t have enough fluid to function properly. Unfortunately children can dehydrate easily when they are sick, this is because they have less
Paracetamol vs. Ibuprofen…It’s a showdown!
Paracetamol and ibuprofen are both medications that can be hugely helpful when you have sick or injured kiddies. They both provide relief from pain and discomfort and are easily accessible at your local chemist. But the important question is…which