First aid every parent should know: choking, burns, falls and fits

Choking

If the child is coughing forcefully, crying or speaking, do not intervene — coughing is the most effective way to clear an airway. Stay with them and encourage coughing.

If they cannot cough, cry, breathe or make sound: for a baby under one, lay them face down along your forearm with the head lower than the chest and give five firm back blows between the shoulder blades; then turn them over and give five chest thrusts with two fingers on the breastbone. Alternate until it clears.

For a child over one: five back blows between the shoulder blades while leaning them forward, then five abdominal thrusts (stand behind, fist above the navel, sharp inward-and-upward pulls). Alternate.

Call for help while doing this and get to hospital immediately if the object does not clear or the child becomes unresponsive. Do not put your fingers blindly into the mouth — it pushes objects further in.

Burns, bleeding and falls

Burns: cool under running cold water for twenty minutes — this genuinely reduces the depth of the burn and it works even up to three hours later. Remove clothing and jewellery near the burn unless stuck. Cover with a clean cloth or cling film. Never apply toothpaste, haldi, ghee, oil, ink, or ice — all of these are common in Indian homes and all make the burn worse or the treatment harder.

Bleeding: press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth for ten minutes without lifting to check. Raise the limb. If blood soaks through, add another cloth on top rather than removing the first. Deep wounds, wounds that will not stop, and anything caused by a dirty or rusty object need medical care and a tetanus check.

Head injury: most bumps are fine. Watch for six hours. Go to hospital immediately for: loss of consciousness even briefly, repeated vomiting, drowsiness or difficulty waking, a fit, unequal pupils, clear fluid or blood from the nose or ears, weakness on one side, or a fall from significant height in a baby.

Poisoning, drowning and fits

Poisoning: do not induce vomiting, do not give milk or salt water. Take the child and the container or substance straight to hospital. If it is on the skin, remove contaminated clothing and wash with plenty of water. If it is a corrosive (acid, cleaning fluid), do not make them vomit under any circumstances.

Drowning: get the child out, check breathing. If not breathing, start rescue breaths and CPR and send someone to call 108. Every child who has been submerged needs hospital assessment even if they seem fine — complications can develop hours later.

Febrile fit: lay the child on their side on a soft surface, remove anything nearby they might hit, loosen clothing, and note the time. Do not put anything in the mouth — not a spoon, not a finger, not an onion or a key, all of which are commonly attempted and all of which cause injury. Do not restrain them. Most fits stop within a couple of minutes; if it lasts more than five minutes, call 108. Every first fit needs same-day hospital assessment.

Being prepared

Keep a first-aid box: sterile gauze and bandages, antiseptic solution, adhesive plasters, scissors, tweezers, a digital thermometer, ORS sachets, paracetamol at the right strength for your child's weight, and a torch. Check the expiry dates twice a year.

Write the emergency numbers where anyone can see them: 108 for an ambulance, your paediatrician, the nearest hospital with a children's emergency, and a neighbour. Add your child's blood group and any allergies.

Do a hands-on first-aid and infant CPR course if you can — many hospitals, the Indian Red Cross and St John Ambulance run short ones. Reading is useful; practising back blows on a mannequin once is what makes you able to do it under pressure.

When to see a doctor

Call 108 or go immediately for: a child who is not breathing or is unresponsive; choking that does not clear; a fit lasting more than five minutes or a first fit of any length; drowning or near-drowning; suspected poisoning; a swallowed button battery or magnet; burns larger than the child's palm or on the face, hands, feet or genitals; heavy bleeding; a head injury with any of the warning signs above; or an electrical shock.

Same-day: any burn needing more than simple cooling, any wound needing stitches, an animal bite (which needs wound washing for fifteen minutes and urgent rabies assessment), a fall with persistent pain or refusal to use a limb, and any child who simply seems seriously unwell to you.

This article is general information, not medical advice, and is no substitute for personal medical advice. For any decision about your or your child's health, please consult your doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Q: A dog scratched my child. Is that serious? — Yes, potentially. Wash the wound with soap and running water for fifteen minutes immediately and go to hospital the same day — rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear and entirely preventable with prompt vaccination. This applies to scratches and licks on broken skin, and to monkey and cat bites too.

Q: My child swallowed a coin. What now? — Go to hospital for assessment. Many coins pass safely, but position matters and some need removal. A button battery is a different order of emergency — it burns tissue within hours and needs immediate removal.

Q: Should I give a fever medicine to prevent a febrile fit? — Fever medicines make a child comfortable but do not reliably prevent fits. Treat the fever for comfort, know what to do if a fit happens, and have any first fit assessed.

Q: Is it safe to move a child after a fall? — If they are conscious, moving normally and in pain only in one place, yes, carefully. If there is any suspicion of a neck or back injury, or they are unconscious, do not move them unless they are in danger — call for help and keep them still.