🩺 Health · Birth through childhood
🚨 Getting trained in infant & child first aid
Hands-on infant and child first-aid training helps caregivers respond to choking, breathing emergencies, burns and injuries. Arrange training during pregnancy or when you can after birth. In Kenya, call 999 or 112 for an emergency. Emergency response is not guaranteed, so plan backup transport too.
What a suitable course should cover
- Recognising choking and practising age-appropriate responses, including infant back blows and chest thrusts.
- Assessing responsiveness and breathing, and safely positioning a child who is unresponsive but breathing normally.
- Infant and child CPR with supervised manikin practice and appropriate AED use.
- Burns, falls, seizures, poisoning and when to seek urgent medical help.
Make training practical
1. Find a qualified provider
Ask your maternity team, local health centre or a recognised first-aid organisation in Kenya about current infant and child courses. Confirm instructor qualifications and that hands-on practice is included.
2. Include regular caregivers
Where possible, both parents and other regular caregivers should attend. Choose a language everyone understands and ask about infant-specific skills rather than relying on adult-only training.
3. Practise and ask questions
Use the training manikins for choking and CPR skills, never a real baby. Learn how to distinguish normal breathing from abnormal gasps and when to call for help.
4. Prepare your home response plan
Save 999 and 112, your address, nearby landmarks and access instructions where caregivers can find them. Keep a stocked first-aid kit and discuss who calls, who provides care and who meets responders. Identify the nearest emergency department and a backup transport option if an ambulance cannot reach you promptly.
5. Refresh and act when needed
Refresh skills as your training provider advises. During an emergency, call 999 or 112, use speakerphone if possible and follow the dispatcher's instructions rather than searching for a video. If you cannot connect, start the first aid you have learned and have another adult arrange urgent help and safe transport.
Classic mistakes
- ❌ Waiting to see if serious symptoms settle Breathing difficulty, blue colouring, floppiness or unresponsiveness needs urgent emergency help. A baby under three months with a temperature of 38°C or higher needs urgent medical assessment.
- ❌ Treating an article as full training Written advice can reinforce learning but does not replace supervised practice and feedback.
A local detail, or your own experience with this guide? Write to the team
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When in doubt, contact your doctor or midwife. For a life-threatening emergency, call 999 or 112.