Child first aid for parents and carers
If you're a parent, carer or look after children, it’s important to know what to do in an emergency.
First aid training can help you feel ready and confident in an emergency. You can learn what to do if a child is choking, injured or suddenly becomes ill.
It’s helpful to do more training as your child grows or if their health changes. This will help you to stay confident in emergencies.
If you’ve never done first aid training or it’s been a while, book onto a course that focuses on babies and children to get the skills you need.
Choose a trusted provider that covers key skills like CPR, helping someone who is unconscious, and stopping bleeding. If CPR is not included, you can take a separate CPR course or use other resources to learn how to do it.
You can find free and paid training options from trusted providers here.
Paid-for in-person training
The British Red Cross run baby and child first aid courses. These are for parents, carers, parents-to-be, grandparents and other family members, as well as anyone who spends time with children. There's a fee for these courses. This course includes CPR.
Free in-person training
Family First Aid Awareness is a free 11-week course that teaches families how to help in accidents and emergencies while waiting for medical help. It does not include CPR training, but there are other resources available to learn this.
Free online training
St John’s Ambulance Free Child and Infant Awareness eLearning course will give you an understanding of child and infant first aid. This course includes CPR.
Learn CPR
- Learn how to resuscitate a child with this NHS guide, including CPR for babies under a year old, and children
- Watch short videos from St John's Ambulance on how to do CPR on a baby and how to do CPR on a child
- Order a free baby and child CPR book, Aaron’s Heart. It tells a fictional story while teaching how to spot emergencies, give CPR to babies and children, and prevent accidents that could lead to cardiac arrest (when the heart stops beating)
Free app
The British Red Cross Baby and Child First Aid app has child and baby first aid advice. It helps parents, grandparents and carers to learn skills to help in an emergency.
They also have a general first aid app for adults.
Free online resources
- The Red Cross's 'Learn first aid for babies and children' hub has simple, easy-to-learn first aid skills for babies and children. From allergic reactions to heatstroke, these quick guides provide advice about what to do if someone needs first aid
- Learn what to put in your first aid kit for babies with this NHS guide
Defibrillators
A defibrillator can save someone’s life if their heart stops. It's a device that gives a high energy shock to the heart to help it to beat normally again.
Find out more about using defibrillators for children of all ages in a defibrillator guide from St John's Ambulance.
Defibrillators are often available in public places. Find your nearest defibrillator with DefibFinder.
Millie’s Mark
Millie’s Mark is given to childcare providers where all staff are trained in first aid for children. It can give you confidence that the staff looking after your child are trained for first aid situations.
Find childcare providers with Millie’s Mark.
Preventing baby and child first aid situations
The best way to keep babies and children safe is to try to prevent accidents before they happen. Here are some trusted resources to help you reduce risks at home and in the community:
- Safer Sleep Guidance – learn how to create a safe sleep environment for your baby and reduce the risk of sudden infant death
- Preventing Falls from Heights – advice on how you can protect children from falls while still giving them space to grow
- Water Safety – tips for keeping babies and children safe around baths, paddling pools and open water
- The Child Accident Prevention Trust – tips on small changes you can make to keep children safe. You can also sign up to safety alerts about new dangers and top safety tips
Working with children
If you work with children and are looking for workplace first aid resources, you can find first aid information and training for professionals.