KeepaBeat First Aid Hertfordshire

This week is - only 10% of our followers are men but we think it’s so important to raise awareness of men’s health as something may be relevant for a man in your family 😊

Here are some statistics about men’s health

1 in 5 men die before age 65

Free NHS health checks are available from age 40

A waist measurement of over 37 inches puts you at risk of serious health conditions such as heart disease, type II diabetes, stroke and cancers including kidney, prostate and bowel problems

Alcohol consumption of more than 14 units a weeks can cause health problems affecting fertility, liver damage, weight increase, stroke, diabetes, heart disease and raised BP

Eating 5 portions of fruit and veg a day lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Fruit and veg are a good source of vitamins and fibre

150 minutes of exercise a week and walking 10,000 steps a day can significantly reduce the risk of type II diabetes (

Next week is the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) Drowning Prevention Week campaign

We have recently seen multiple tragedies of people losing their lives so want to highlight the importance of this 💔

Everyone should know the Water Safety Code and campaign week is specifically timed to happen before the summer holidays when children are more likely to be outdoors and close to water

Here are some of the worrying statistics from RLSS
⚠️Over 300 lives are lost to drowning in the UK every year
⚠️47% of accidental drowning occurs between May and August
⚠️There are 5 times more drownings when the temperature is 25 degrees compared to 10 degrees
⚠️Teenagers between 13 and 17 are most likely to lose their lives and cases have increased by 67% from 2020 to now

Most drowning is preventable

Before you enter water make a few safety checks
🌊Is it too deep or shallow – can you see the bottom
🌊Does it have a current
🌊Don’t jump in from a height
🌊Are you a competent swimmer
🌊Never enter water alone, make sure someone knows where you are and how to get help in case of an emergency

If you see someone struggling think raise the alarm, call 999, tell them to float on their back and throw something that floats – DO NOT enter the water to help 🚨

If you are the one in trouble in the water remember – stay calm and try to breathe normally, tilt your head back with your ears submerged, float on your back spread your arms and legs out to improve stability, gently move them to stay afloat if needed and call for help 🗣

Teach theses important steps to your children, particularly teenagers, in a safe environment so that they are prepared in case of emergency

Sources – RLSS, RNLI

We've had some really hot weather last month and fingers crossed a lovely summer ahead of us but .........

💧💧How much water should my child drink? 💧💧

Answer: EVERY child is different. Different factors will mean some children will need more or less than the guidance of 6-8 cups of water a day. Factors include age, weather, how much physical activity they may have done and whether they have a medical condition

Small children will generally need smaller cups than older children too!

Under 5’s use a 120 - 150ml cup - 6 years and above use a 250ml - 300ml cup

If you struggle to get water in to your child get creative!

Can you make some ice lollies? Offer fruits that have lots of water like melon, strawberries, peaches and blackberries, but be cautious of the sugar content for the teeth 🍓🍑🍡

Try funky cups and leaving lots of them around to encourage more drinking!

If possible try to avoid high in sugar drinks but small amounts of fruit juice (up to 150ml per day) or squash may encourage more fluid intake on hot days!

Good luck 😘

From 6 months babies can have small sips of water from a cup or beaker when eating

Under 6 months breastfed babies do not need water but may want to feed more frequently when hot, formula fed babies may need small sips of water during hot weather 🌞🥤

Sources: nutrition.org.uk, NHS, Eatwell

This week has been the Child Accident Prevention Trusts 'Child Safety Week' where they raise awareness of preventable accidents to educate and empower parents and carers to keep their families safe

The Child Accident Prevention Trust was set up 40 years ago by two Consultant Paediatricians after they kept seeing the same accidents and injuries over and over

They provide fantastic easy to follow resources to help you learn alongside your little people, head to their social media or website to have a look at everything they do

Some of the topics they cover include:

Fire
Burns
Toy Safety
Poisoning
Falls
Road Safety

We will, as always, be sharing information on many different topics on a Friday for you to keep safe ⛑️🚑

Child Accident Prevention Trust

Every month we run live, online First Aid For Weaning sessions

These sessions are perfect for anyone that's starting the weaning journey with their baby

One of the biggest worries for parents is that their baby may choke and they wouldn’t know what to do

Feeling confident is key when you start your weaning journey! 🥦🥕🍓
💪Learn how to prep food safely
🥵😰Learn how to recognise the difference between gagging and choking
😌Learn how to react if your child is gagging
🖐🏽🚑Know how to start emergency treatment if your child was to choke
🥜learn how to recognise symptoms of allergies

Our sessions are just £11.99 per person! The next one is Wednesday 10th June at 7.30pm and can be booked at https://www.keepabeat.com/firstaidforweaning

It’s so hard fitting an exercise routine in when you have just had a baby

When you're tired the last thing you want to do is be active but exercising can give you more energy, help you sleep and help you relax

It can help with postnatal recovery both physically and mentally

When you can start exercising will depend on your type of birth, if everything was straightforward, as soon as you feel ready you can start gentle stretching, walking and tummy and pelvic floor exercises

It is recommended to wait until at least 6 weeks to start any high impact exercise

If you had a complicated or operative delivery you must recover fully from this first

After pregnancy your ligaments and joints are much more stretchy and your core and abdominal muscles will be much weaker so it is important not to overdo it when first starting. Your postnatal bleeding may increase following exercise, this can be a sign that you are overdoing it so listen to your body

Some people enjoy exercising at home whilst others like a class, there are lots of classes offering postnatal exercise and some where you can take your baby along with you

If you have recommendations for classes in your area please give them a shoutout in the comments for other mums who might be nervous to get started

Exercise is fantastic for boosting your mental health particularly after having a baby when you might be sleep deprived

Some family hubs offer pram walks to get together and meet other parents – check out their pages for information

Swimming is a great postnatal exercise and is something you can do together with your baby as they get older – check out your local leisure centre

Whatever you decide to do try to find something you enjoy, it can be a great way to meet others and spend some time on you

When preparing foods be aware of the size, shape and texture that you are giving when you are starting your weaning journey

Some foods can be more problematic than others so try to make them safer where possible. It can also be a little bit trial and error as some children will find certain foods easier than others 🥑 is super slippery and maybe hard for little hands to hold!

To make these foods safer we can prepare them in a way that reduces the risk of choking. Never cut foods into circular pieces - for example sausages and carrots

As a guide:
🍎 Remove tough skins, pips, seeds and peels to start
Cut into long thin pieces - aim for around the size of your index finger - this makes foods easier to grip before the pincer grip has developed
🥦 Cook raw hard foods so that they are soft enough for you to easily break them down when you pinch them between your finger and thumb
🍇 When offering circular foods like grapes, cherry tomatoes or large olives chop them lengthways into quarters

Supporting our babies to feed themselves encourages independence and confidence

Join our Online First Aid For Weaning session and hear about a range of foods and how to make them safer

It’s live so you can ask questions too!

We hope that everyone has a happy and safe Bank Holiday and that the weather is kind to you all 🌞

However you choose to spend your day, or week, if you are lucky enough to be off, please keep your little ones safe

If you need any accident or illness advice remember 111 and pharmacies can offer lots of support ☎️ leaving urgent and emergency care less busy 🏥

Most new parents have a constant supply of nappy sacks, in the changing bag, in the bedroom, in the living room, in the car, the list is endless – that fresh smelling bag to dispose of the stinky contents!

Essentially we are surrounding the areas we take care of our baby with carrier bags!

The difference with nappy bags is that they are much thinner and make less noise so if your baby got hold of one you may not notice straight away – they are so thin that if caught over your babies face it can easily be inhaled – they are usually individual rather than on a roll so easier to grasp

Babies under 6 months are most at risk of suffocation from nappy sacks as they put everything in their mouths but don’t know how to take them out. There is also a choking risk in addition to suffocation

Make sure nappy sacks are always out of reach and hard to grab, just as you would a carrier bag. Don’t be tempted to push a few down the side of the bed, sofa or car seat to have them in easy reach

Asphyxia (including choking and strangulation) is the third most common cause of death in children. It only takes a few minutes !!!!

Sources: CAPT, National Children Mortality Database, ROSPA

Every month we run live, online First Aid For Weaning sessions

These sessions are perfect for anyone that's starting the weaning journey with their baby

One of the biggest worries for parents is that their baby may choke and they wouldn’t know what to do

Feeling confident is key when you start your weaning journey! 🥦🥕🍓
💪Learn how to prep food safely
🥵😰Learn how to recognise the difference between gagging and choking
😌Learn how to react if your child is gagging
🖐🏽🚑Know how to start emergency treatment if your child was to choke
🥜learn how to recognise symptoms of allergies

Our sessions are just £11.99 per person! The next one is Wednesday 27th May at 10am and can be booked at https://www.keepabeat.com/firstaidforweaning