Welcome to our Live Q&A with Marion Morrissey of www.safeaid.ie. Marion is our guest expert tonight and will take your questions about Paediatric First Aid. So, thanks to Miriam for taking the time to join us and remember to refresh your screen (F5 button) to see new questions and Marion's responses. You can also switch from Top Posts to Most Recent just below our photos at the top of our wall.

Isla Hi Marion, I sometimes wonder what steps I might take if one of my little ones suddenly developed a severe reaction to peanuts or stings?

Marion Morrissey Hi Isla, signs of a severe allergic reaction are itching, rash, swelling and wheezing you would need to take the child to the nearest medical facility asap so that they can get an injection of adrenalin no time to be wasted so GP, Chemist or hospital which ever is nearer or meet the ambulance on the way! Hope this helps

Isla great, thanks. I wouldn't have thought of the chemist.

Belinda Hi Marion: is it important to teach kids the basics of some first aid - or at least how to react in an emergency situation? Can you share some tips on how to do this?

Marion Morrissey Oh I am a firm believer in teaching children the basics young from 5 on they should be told about ringing 999 / 112 and how to recognise someone who has stopped breathing by their colour and how to get help. From age 8 the basics of CPR can be thought

Isla Kids can join junior wing of Red Cross or order of Malta if there is one in your area.

Marion Morrissey it should really be part of the classes in school

Mykidstime Sinead asked : Hi Marion I'm wondering my little girl 20 months was born at 20 weeks and is always sick had apnoea but has frown out of it now but constantly in doctors with ear infections getting grommets next month 
But she cried constantly morning to night any tips

Marion Morrissey can you clarify the question?

Marion Morrissey Maybe to try and build up her immune system I know that Udo’s are doing a special blend and also manuka honey is good to help fight infections

Mykidstime ‎Sinead replied: Great thanks to clarify I'm just wondering what I can do to stop her from picking up everything

Julianne Hickey White Check for allergies

Etain Hi Marion, What should be in your home first aid kit? How often should you replenish it?

Marion Morrissey Well there is a standard list that the HSA recommends but for home I think plenty of gauze, triangular bandages / slings, plasters, thermometer, paralink supp, dioralyte and hydrogel for burns!

Belinda Should you have a kit for the car too, Marion?

Marion Morrissey I would as it also works as a back up if you are anywhere and have forgotten anything

Etain Thanks for that :) Will check what I have!

Lèon Hi Marion, Any advice on what I can do with my 3 year old when she cuts herself? She refuses to let me put a plaster on her & I'm afraid of the cut getting dirty /infected. Thanks

Marion Morrissey sometimes they seem to prefer a big bandage first even if its a small cut maybe to start like that and Aldi sometimes have a range of character plasters also Ice in a tea towel initially to numb the pain and for pressure!

Lèon I've tried all those types of character plasters but she refuses, any other suggestions?

Marion Morrissey there is a spray called opsite it’s an invisible plaster but is sprayed on

Lèon Fox Ah great, that sounds like exactly what I need, thanks a mil!

Aileen Hello Marion, my 8 year old always has a blocked nose. He has had his adenoid removed, we've tried otc solutions and homeopathy but none seem to relieve it - can you suggest anything from your experience. Thank you.

Marion Morrissey Have you tried manuka honey its good to help clear the mucous membranes also a nebuliser that people use for asthma can be used with just saline and if its done before bed it moistens the nasal cavity and helps

Marion Morrissey also there is an unorthodox remedy of 1tsp sugar, salt, bread soda mixed into a cup of boiling water and left to cool and syringe 1ml up each nostril twice a day it stings a little at the start

Aileen Thanks Marion - will give them a go.

Mary-Kate Hi Marion, just wondering what you would with a minor burn in the absence of anything from a pharmacy? My son burned his finger on the outside of the kettle recently and the only thing I could think of was Sudocream but I'm not sure if that was suitable?

Marion Morrissey the first treatment for any burn is put the area under cool running water for a min time of 10 to 15 min water reduced pain, swelling, infection and scarring. Sudocream was fine but hydrogel is better its only about €6 for a bottle

Zoe What about Aloe Vera plant - cut off a stem and rub it on the burn. Works well, and they grow really easily

Mary-Kate Thanks. I was lucky enough to get the sudocreme on him, you'd swear his arm had been cut off with all the roaring he was doing! Will invest in hydrogel in case there is a next time.

Mary-Kate That would involve me having an Aloe vera plant!!

Marion Morrissey Aloe vera would also be fine after the water

Annette Hi Marion, what would you recommend for bumps and bruises from a hurl?

Marion Morrissey initially Ice but arnica gel and tabs are also very good if you are worried draw a line around the bruise and observe to see if the bruise goes outside the line if so it could indicate internal bleeding

Hilary Hi Marion, a little girl came who is Diabetic came to play in our house for a few hours but her Mum forgot to leave the machine to check her blood sugars. I have a little experience of diabetes and wasn't overly concerned but the Mum was very adamant (even though she had just had her dinner that) her sugars could go down very fast. The little girl told me after about 15 mins that she wasn't feeling well and needed to check her sugar levels but because the Mum hadn't left the machine I was unable to. I rang the Mum who came immediately but wonder what I could have done if she had actually been low. When her levels were checked she was fine and I think it was just her being shy. I know you can give a sweet drink or small sweet to bring the sugar levels back up. Would that have been the right thing to do?  Hope you can follow all that and thanks.

Marion Morrissey yes if in doubt give a sugar solution even a glass of milk with a tsp on sugar in it and then a light snack afterwards, if she started to display confusion colour getting pale, sweating a lot and acting disorientated put her sitting down and get sugar into her and stay with her until she has come around if she starts to become sleepy place her on her side in the recovery position ring 999/ 112 and then her mother

Hilary She wasn't unwell at all so I didn't panic. Thanks Marion.

John Hi, what's the best remedy for a nose bleed? Thanks

Marion Morrissey position the child / adult sitting down pinch just below the bridge of the nose bring the head down forward and get an ice pack and place it on the back of the neck never plug the nose!

John Thanks Marion, how long should you pinch below the bridge of the nose?

Sandra Hi Marion my 2half yr old has this constant cough that she has had most of her life and never really went away she has had chest x-rays etc but all came back clear if I had Pneumonia when I was 12 weeks pregnant wit her but it didn’t escalate until a week after i gave birth to her could this have affected her and that’s why she has a constant cough

Marion Morrissey I would really doubt it I could not make a connection there, was she checked for allergies?

Sandra Higgins No she wasn’t checked for allergies just asthma pneumonia etc

Bernadette Hi Marion. I was wondering what items do you recommend for a first aid kit for the house. What should it contain ?

Mykidstime Hi Bernadette - Marion answered this question a little bit further down - Well there is a standard list that the HSA recommends but for home I think plenty of gauze, triangular bandages / slings, plasters, thermometer, paralink supp, diarolyte and hydrogel for burns!

Bernadette Thank you for your reply :-)

Katherine Hi Marion. I work with a committee... What kind of a first aid course would cover basics for a committee dealing occasionally with children? Would a day course suffice, or would you need something more in-depth?

Marion Morrissey The correct ans to this really if you need it for an organisation to be covered legally you need to do a 3 day fetac level 5 thats valid for 2 years and you do a one day refresher every 2 years. You can do a one day basic but it will not cover you legally if something went to court!

Mykidstime Hi Folks, we're going to finish up now and say thanks to Marion for joining us. For any questions that we didn’t get to, email us at info@mykidstime.ie and we will make sure she sees them. You can contact Marion for first aid course for parents on www.safeaid.ie

Marion Morrissey Thanks a million for having me!!

Belinda Thanks Marion - that was informative.

Maria Very interesting, thank you.