first aid for children Archives

Allergy Safety in Schools – New guidance September 2026

Be ready for the Allergy Safety guidance changes this September!

Book your anaphylaxis training with us and ensure your school has spare EpiPens available.

Today, a historic step has been taken to protect children with allergies in schools. The Department for Education will publish new mandatory statutory guidance on allergy safety from September 2026, requiring schools to have robust allergy policies, spare emergency adrenaline auto-injectors, and trained staff. These measures could reduce risk, prevent tragedies and hospitalisations, and give allergy families greater peace of mind.

4 February 2026

Baby Choking Guideline 2025 Update

Every five years, the Resuscitation Council UK produces revised guidelines in conjunction with the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) and the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) in order to comply with new scientific research, clinical data, technological advances and public health trends.

The most recent updates released at the end of 2025 announced the following revisions with regards to choking in babies:

Choking baby (under 1 year)

Suspect choking if your baby is unable to cry aloud, especially during feeding, eating or playing unsupervised. Chest thrusts are now delivered using the 2 thumbs encircling technique as opposed to the former two fingers technique. If your baby becomes unconscious, ensure someone has called 999 and start CPR.

26 January 2026

Paediatric Resuscitation Guideline Updates 2025

The most recent updates released at the end of 2025 announced the following revisions:

The new guidelines highlight the importance of Introducing CPR education from early childhood (ages 4–6) and reinforcing it throughout school.

Child Matters already delivers first aid skills to 100’s of school children and will continue to develop their program to compliment the guidance.

26 January 2026

Claire Street on radio Marlow FM

I love radio! Happy to be chatting to Sheila Docker at Marlow FM 97.5 on 24th April 2025 as part of their Business Show. I got invited to comment on

7 May 2025

Can kids get Shingles?

Shingles in children is very rare, but only in the last week I’ve seen two cases in a school I’ve been nursing at. It only develops in those who have

12 March 2025

How do I know if my baby or child has Flu?

How do I know if it’s flu?

How can you tell if your baby or child has flu compared to any other virus, and more importantly how do you know when it’s serious enough to seek medical help especially if you are new to parenting?

Well, its not easy, as many symptoms resemble the common cold but flu typically presents with more severe symptoms, comes on more suddenly and is less likely to include a stuffy or runny nose.

22 January 2025

8 Dangerous Christmas Gifts

Cheap gifts from unknown sellers on online marketplaces can come from anywhere in the world and can be dangerous. Super-strong magnets can rip through your child’s belly. Easy-access button batteries can

11 December 2024

Free E-Learning Student First Aid

This Student First aid course takes you on an e-learning journey with a series of 23 very short online videos (53 minutes in total) that cover medical emergencies you could be faced with in every day life from burns to bleed wounds, seizures to broken bones and even pet injuries.

It encourages secondary school children to help someone in need but to also ensure that they keep themselves safe at all time and make sure that they get help.

You’ll learn practical skills such as putting someone in the recovery position, using a defibrillator or knowing how to sit someone up during a heart attack.

22 July 2024

Bee Allergy Aware – Learn ABC

For most children, a bee or wasp sting doesn’t cause much harm other than a painful bite with some redness and minor swelling that settles down. It can be easily treated with an ice pack and some antihistamine or hydrocortisone cream. But for others it can be more serious, even life threatening, and lead to symptoms of anaphylaxis.

1 July 2024

Protecting pupils with allergies – REACT Report 2024

On 1st December 2021, 5-year-old Benedict Blythe collapsed at school after experiencing a severe allergic reaction. He had known allergies to various foods including milk, eggs, nuts, chickpeas, sesame and

27 March 2024