Mini First Aid Plymouth & West Devon

🌊 Drowning Prevention Week🌊

49% of UK accidental drownings occur between May and August. Are you confident your child would know what to do if they fell into water or how to stay safe when playing near water?

Scroll through for some sobering statistics and facts about child drowning from

Drowning is largely preventable. Please take care to supervise small children at all times when in or near water and educate your teenagers about the dangers of swimming in rivers, lakes and estuaries.

Here are a few simple precautions and tips for water safety this summer ☀️💦💚

☀️ Travel Tip: UV & Altitude ⛰️

We headed into the mountains today how could you not when they look like this 😍 Our elevation has increased by over 600m compared to home - and we’re planning to go higher over the week!

But this isn’t just a “mountains abroad” thing. Even a day out on Dartmoor can mean your elevation increases by 500m+ compared to sea level.

So why does this matter?

☀️ UV gets stronger the higher you are.

As altitude increases, there is less atmosphere to absorb UV radiation, meaning your risk of sun damage increases too.

📈 For every 1000m increase in altitude, UV levels rise by approximately 10%.

So even if it feels cooler in the mountains or windier up on the moors, the sun can still be surprisingly strong.

A few simple reminders:

🧴 Reapply sunscreen regularly

🧢 Hats and UV protective clothing can really help

💧 Keep hydrated

⏰ Take extra care during peak UV times

👶 Remember little ones can burn quickly - even when it doesn’t feel especially hot

Cooler temperatures don’t always mean lower sun risk ☀️💚

Have you ever caught the sun somewhere you least expected to? 👇💚

Source: WHO - World Health Organisation, NHS

🌊 This Drowning Prevention Week — do you know your beach safety flags? 🌊

Living in Devon/Cornwall, we are so lucky to have the coast right on our doorstep. Beach days are such an integral part of summer here - whether it’s rock pooling, paddling, swimming or an after-school trip to the sea 💙

But if you’re heading to the beach this summer, knowing what the flags mean can help keep you and your little ones safe around the water.

🌊 Save this imageRoyal Life Saving Society UK - RLSS UKthe flags with children before beach days
🌊 Always choose lifeguarded beaches where possible

A quick conversation could make a big difference.

How many flags did you already know? 👇💚

Royal Life Saving Society UK - RLSS UK

🌊 It’s Drowning Prevention Week 🌊

A timely reminder that drowning can happen quickly and quietly.

Small steps and awareness can make a huge difference. Take a moment to read through this important information and help keep little ones safe around water. 💚
Child Accident Prevention Trust

The most common symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children are:

🚽 Toilet: Going to the toilet a lot to pass urine, bed wetting by a previously dry child or heavier nappies in babies. Getting up in the night to go to the toilet.
💦 Thirsty: Being really thirsty and not being able to quench the thirst. Your child may ask for a drink more often, finish drinks very quickly or you may notice they generally drink more.
💤 Tired: Feeling more tired than usual. Having less energy than normal, not playing as often, less energy for sports
🪞 Thinner: Losing weight or looking thinner than usual.

If your child has any of the signs or symptoms of diabetes, you should take them straight to the doctor and ask for a blood glucose test.

For more information, check out the Mini First Aid blog:

https://www.minifirstaid.co.uk/blog/childhood-diabetes-recognise-the-symptoms

☀️ The sun is coming out in France… and while the UK weather might not have caught up just yet, being prepared for sunny days at home or abroad is so important.

Of course, no one wants their child to get sunburnt — it’s painful, uncomfortable and can make little ones feel really unwell. But it’s not just the immediate effects we need to think about.

Significant sun exposure in childhood is the single biggest lifestyle risk factor for melanoma.

In fact, experiencing blistering sunburn during childhood or young adulthood can double the chance of developing melanoma later in life, according to The Royal Marsden.

So what can we do to help protect our little ones? ☀️
Cancer Research UK suggests:

🌳 Seek shade – Take breaks under umbrellas, parasols or trees, or head indoors, especially between 11am–3pm in the UK, when the sun is strongest.

👕 Cover up – Loose clothing that covers shoulders is ideal. The more skin protected, the better. Pair with a wide-brimmed hat and UV protection sunglasses.

🧴 Use sunscreen – On any areas you can’t cover with clothes or shade. Choose at least SPF 30 with 4 or 5 stars, and apply regularly and generously.

💡 TOP TIP from Cancer Research UK: Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before heading out into the sun, and then again just before leaving. This “double layer” reduces the likelihood of missed areas and, as most of us don’t apply enough sunscreen, helps build up a thicker, more protective layer.

A little preparation can make all the difference in keeping little ones safe while still enjoying the sunshine 💚

🌊 Today marks the start of Drowning Prevention Week 13-20 June🌊

We are so lucky where we live that we are never far from the sea - I honestly can’t imagine being anywhere else 💚

Warmer days normally mean more beach days, paddling, swimming and holidays where there may be more access to pools, lakes and open water too.

As much fun as water brings, it’s also a really important reminder that drowning can happen quickly and often silently.

Teaching children the Water Safety Code gives them a great foundation for staying safe around water:

💙 STOP & THINK
Look for dangers, read signs and understand beach flags. If swimming in the sea, choose lifeguarded beaches.

💙 STAY TOGETHER
Never swim alone - always swim with someone who can help if you were to get into trouble.

💙 CALL 999
Never enter the water to rescue anyone yourself - it could put you in danger too. Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard if at the beach.

💙 FLOAT
If you get into trouble in the water, stay calm, float on your back and shout for help.

Living by the sea, in my opinion, is one of the best things about where we live - but respecting the water and knowing what to do in an emergency can save lives 🌊💚

Source: Royal Life Saving Society UK - RLSS UK

🚐 ✋ Little hands get everywhere… especially when you’re travelling! 🤚🏕️

On this trip we’re mixing camper van life with cabins, which means nowhere is really out of bounds for curious little explorers. So all medications we’ve brought with us are kept safely in a coded lock box 🔒

(Why coded? Because if it needs keys, I will lose them 🤦🏾‍♀️ and if we suddenly need some calpol, I don’t want to be hunting around for a key first!)

Medication is one of the biggest poisoning risks for little ones and most common cause of hospital admissions for poisonings in under 5’s, so taking some time to keep them safe is well worth it 💚

What are your best first aid or safety tips for small space living/travelling with babies or preschoolers? ⛺🚐👇 I’d love to hear them!💚

🇫🇷 Holiday Musings - Know how to get medical help before you need it 🇫🇷

It might sound obvious, but when you’re abroad and worried about your child, the last thing you want is to be Googling emergency numbers or trying to work out where to go in a panic.

📱 Save the local emergency number in your phone as soon as you arrive.

🏥 Find out how to access medical help before you need it.

We learnt this the hard way when my little one was around one years old. We were on holiday when he became really poorly. It was only once I decided we needed a doctor that we started trying to figure out how to find one - which made an already stressful situation even harder, especially with a language barrier.

If you’re staying in a hotel, reception will often be able to help 24/7. But if you’re in an Airbnb, campsite, holiday park or travelling around, it’s worth finding out:

✔️ How to access a doctor/medical centre
✔️ Where the nearest minor injuries unit or hospital is
✔️ What number to call for urgent help
✔️ Whether your travel insurance has a medical helpline

💡 Top tip: Ask reception, local hosts, friends where children usually go if unwell. Save addresses and phone numbers to your phone when you arrive.

What are your best tips for getting medical help abroad? 👇💚