Unexpected Medical Emergencies
How to Be Prepared
Having a new baby can be a wonderful experience. I remember when my daughter was born. She is two and a half years old now, and her birth was an experience that I would go through again. I love being a father. However, we parents should never overlook the importance of being trained for the unfortunate situation of our children becoming seriously hurt or ill. Unfortunately, it does happen even though we sometimes do not want to accept the possibility of it happening to our precious ones. As a former New York City Paramedic, I have seen the unfortunate side of when no one has training or knowledge of what to do for the pediatric victim. Parents or other family members need to realize that basic Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation and basic Pediatric First Aid should be integral skills of every adult who assumes care for the child.
Infants between below one year of age and children between one and eight years are prone to Respiratory Arrest. This is a condition where the breathing stops from a variety of possible reasons, including choking, airway obstruction, drowning, trauma, or poisoning. Because children rarely exhibit signs of heart disease, we know that the respiratory functions stop first. Having basic CPR Training will teach caregivers how to breathe for the child until paramedics arrive to provide Advanced Life Support. In order for the paramedic level of care to be effective, basic level of care absolutely must be given first. Basic First Aid will teach caregivers how to handle emergencies when the pediatric victim is still breathing but may be in danger of loosing respiratory function. In addition, both CPR and First Aid Standards are constantly changing, and there new procedures on how handle seizures, burns, choking, and poisoning. Many parents are not aware of the new standards and protocols. In some cases the older first aid procedures can actually harm the child or infant.
It only takes between two- and three-and-a-half hours to learn the basics to save a child's life. New parents should invest the time to help protect their precious children. If a family takes the time to prepare and have their home safe and baby-proofed, then adding the extra time for training just makes sense. Finally, having Automated External Defibrillators in children's schools is the way to go if trauma occurs from sports related injuries. Certain sports carry risk, such as soccer, lacrosse, and football. Some U.S. states are now mandating the placing of AED's in the high risk areas of the school.
