Child Matters

22/12/2025

Button batteries can badly hurt or kill a small child if they swallow one. They look like a coin.

Here are five top tips to keep children safe from button batteries from the Office for Product Safety & Standards advice:

❗Look around your house for button batteries. Think toys, lights, remote controls and more
❗ Check for products with loose backs and button batteries that have dropped out
❗Store button batteries in a safe place, up high and out of your child’s reach
❗Dispose of used button batteries as soon as you can. They are still unsafe
❗Act if you think your child may have swallowed a button battery, go straight to A&E or call an ambulance

19/12/2025

Grandparents and relatives often don’t realise that everyday items can put children at risk.

👉 Medicines left in handbags or on bedside tables are easy for little hands to find, and everyday painkillers are the leading cause of accidental poisoning in children.

👉 Hearing aids, too, contain button batteries that can be deadly if swallowed.

🙏 Help them protect your children by giving them a safe storage option—like a Kiddylock container—so all medicines and small items can be kept securely out of reach, high up or locked away.

18/12/2025

Last week, we had the pleasure of delivering junior first aid training to 220 sixth‑form students from Desborough College and Upton Court Grammar.

Across multiple groups of 30, pupils took part in two hours of hands‑on, confidence‑building training that introduced them to essential lifesaving skills, including:

👍 Defibrillators
👍 DRABC
👍 CPR
👍 Life‑threatening bleeding
👍 Choking
👍 Seizures
👍 Using a mobile phone in an emergency
👍 Websites and apps that can help save a life

Desborough College

👉 If your school is looking to offer students vital, engaging and fully interactive first aid training, we’d be delighted to support you. You can find more details here: https://lnkd.in/epjVj6FS

17/12/2025

What a year. 2025 you've been amazing!

17/12/2025

What a year. 2025 you've been amazing!

This is "2025 You've been amazing" by Claire Street on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

17/12/2025

Eight-year-old Jacob Varley-Issitt saved his mum’s life, when she collapsed from septic shock at their home in Loughborough. He stayed calm, called the ambulance and led paramedics into their home once they arrived. Watch his amazing story.

Remember this acronym to recognise the signs of SEPSIS:-

Slurred speech or confusion
Extreme shivering or muscle pain
Passing no urine in a day
Severe breathlessness
It feels like you've going to die
Skin that is mottled or discoloured.

https://www.itv.com/thismorning/articles/the-brave-eight-year-old-who-saved-his-mums-life

Dermott and Christine meet eight-year-old Jacob who saved his mum’s life when she collapsed from septic shock at their home in Loughborough.

16/12/2025

❤️ Lovely comments from our December paediatric first aid students. Thank you so much. We pride ourselves on our high level of practical experience so I'm pleased it shows in our teaching.

15/12/2025

Did you know we stock a wide range of child friendly first aid products that can fit into a stocking and cost less than £10 or £25?

Be prepared no matter what life throws at you and your little ones.

A sudden spill of boiling water, a slip in the garden, a wasp sting, a fall down the stairs—most accidents occur in the home. Ranging from life-threatening to ‘forgotten the next day’, you’ll most likely reach for the first aid kit or open your bathroom cabinet for the right thing to take care of an accident.

You’ll be relieved to have the right supplies if you ever need them urgently for your little ones. It doesn’t cost a lot, and they don't take up much space, but the minute you need a plaster for a cut, a dressing for a burn, or a sterile eyewash, you’ll be thankful.

We stock it all. Take a peek at our online shop:-

https://www.child-matters.co.uk/our-shop/

12/12/2025

⚠️ Content Warning This video contains material that some viewers may find distressing. ✅ Please note: in all situations shown, appropriate medical help was sought immediately.
Viewer discretion is advised.

What is Croup?

➡️ Croup is inflammation of the upper airways caused by a viral infection where the voice box (larynx) and windpipe (trachea) become inflamed. It most commonly affects children from age 6 months through to around 4 years old.

Symptoms to look out for:

✅ Cough that sounds like a barking seal.
✅ Noisy or squeaky breathing as your child breaths in. It might be there all the time or only when they get upset.
✅ A hoarse voice, difficulty breathing, a fever, runny nose and sore throat.
✅ Croup symptoms are usually worse at night.

How can you manage Croup at home?

➡️ Try and keep your child calm and relaxed
➡️ Keep up fluids
➡️ Paracetamol or ibuprofen can make them more comfortable
➡️ Dressing them warmly and then going outside into the cool air can help calm down inflammation and lessen symptoms.

⚠️ You should see your GP or call 111 if you think your child has Croup because there are medications called steroids that can reduce the swelling and help with symptoms.

When do you need to get to hospital?
You should call 999 / go to A&E if:

✅ Your child is having difficulty breathing - are they sucking in under the ribs or tummy?
✅ If your child goes blue/grey/pale/mottled.
✅ They are sleepy and difficult to wake up.
✅ They are limp or floppy.
✅ They are drooling a lot or finding it hard to swallow.
✅ They are very upset and restless and want to be sat up.
✅ They seem unwell - trust your parenting instinct!

There are other medications that A&E may give through a nebuliser to help reduce the swelling if your child is very poorly.

10/12/2025

With Christmas just around the corner and schools and nurseries getting ready to take a well earned break, it's time to check that everything is all set up and ready for the New Year.

Heres a handy checklist:

✅Check your first aid kits are fully stocked up?
✅Are all the items still in date or need replacing?
✅Need a stocking filler idea?

Our paediatric first aid kits make great stocking fillers, especially the pocket sized kits, keyring face shields, plasters, books. And a well-stocked kit is peace of mind and protection for your team.

Take a look at all the first aid items for sale in our online shop:-

https://www.child-matters.co.uk/our-shop/

10/12/2025

A reminder of the key update in the 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines is the move from two-finger compressions to the two-thumb encircling method when performing CPR on infants.

Whether you’re a healthcare professional or a parent, this simple change can help you give the best possible chance of survival in the rare event of infant cardiac arrest.

This will be incorporated into our paediatric first aid training practices.

👉 Learn more in the Resus Council's updated Paediatric Life Support Guidelines:

https://www.resus.org.uk/professional-library/2025-resuscitation-guidelines/paediatric-basic-life-support-guidelines

09/12/2025

Allergy UK are hosting a free event on 11 December to support those living with or caring for anaphylaxis.

Register here for more details - https://www.allergyuk.org/blog/events/anaphylaxis-patient-webinar/

They have also published practical tips for enjoying a safe aware Christmas....

🎄Christmas should be all about fun, excitement and relaxation, but for those with food allergies it can be a challenging time.

Here are some tips for an enjoyable festive period -

- Make sure you have enough medication with you to last the holiday season - especially if away or visiting
- Always carry two adrenaline devices if you live with anaphylaxis
- Consider wearing a medical ID bracelet or necklace and keep your allergy action plan with you
- Ensure you know how to use your emergency medication e.g. Adrenaline Auto-Injectors, EURneffy and inhalers. Tell someone you are with that you are carrying them and where they are
- Always check food labels even if you’ve eaten it safely in the past. Ingredients can change with no clear notice on the packaging
- Be especially careful with foods from outside the EU where allergens and labelling practices vary.
- Communicate food allergies in advance when eating out, ideally when making your booking, and double-check when ordering
- Be cautious with anything you eat/drink. If in doubt, don’t risk it.
- Be aware that alcohol can contain allergens
- Be wary with cocktail ingredients and garnishes and remember that alcohol can make some reactions worse and medications less effective
- Ensure friends and family know what to do in case of an emergency and who your person of contact is (next of kin).
- If you have an Allergy UK translation card for travel abroad, consider using the English language version on the reverse side which may be helpful when ordering food or drink in a noisy bar or restaurant.

For more details please visit https://www.allergyuk.org/

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