Instagram story viewer> @safe.sprouts> Posts

Kat Mason | Baby First Aid & Safety

@safe.sprouts

7.1K

followers

717

following

🙌 Teaching YOU how to save your child’s life.
Paramedic | Educator | Mum
Download our FREE choking guide here 👇

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

🚗 Forgotten Baby Syndrome: A Simple Tip to Keep Your Baby Safe 👶

🤯 The school holidays are here and our routines are TOTALLY out the window once again.

🎅🏻Between holiday errands, heading to activities, or just managing the chaos that is the Christmas period, it’s easy for distractions to take over.

💔 ‘Forgotten Baby Syndrome” is a heartbreaking phenomenon where exhausted or distracted caregivers accidentally leave their baby in the car…and IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE!!

☀️On a hot day, the temperature inside a parked car can climb dangerously fast- reaching deadly levels in as little as 10 minutes, even with the windows cracked. Babies’ bodies heat up 3-5 times faster than adults’, putting them at a much heightened risk of heatstroke, brain damage, or worse.

🙌 One simple trick that could save a life: Take off one of your shoes and place it in the back. It may seem odd, but it works…. Because you won’t get far before you realise you’re missing a shoe! This then gives you that critical reminder to check the back seat.

This is especially important during the holidays when routines are disrupted and it’s easier to forget.

💡 Do you have other tips for checking the back seat? Let’s share and help protect little ones this summer! ❤️

#ForgottenBabySyndrome #ChildSafety #HeatSafety #CarSafety #ParentingTips #SchoolHolidays #forgottenbaby by @safe.sprouts

109k

3k

2 years ago

⭐️ Number 4️⃣ in our top posts of 2024 ⭐️

🚗 Land transport accidents are THE leading cause of death in Australian children.
They are the second leading cause of hospitalisations, following falls.

😩Yet, transport safety is so overlooked in our communities, laws and the media. I literally can not understand why 😭😭😭😭

👶 The younger a child is, the larger their head is relative to their body, and the weaker their neck muscles are to support it.

✅ One of the BEST ways to protect your child in the event of a collision is to keep them rear-facing for as long as possible. It will help protect those developing little necks and heads SO much better.

4️⃣ There are a tonne of seats out there on the market which can easily accommodate a child rear-facing until age 4 (the age we legally HAVE to forward-face them).

🙌 Ignore the age of your child and the peer pressure to forward-face them. Get yourself an extended rear-facing seat, and keep them in it until either they outgrow it, or until they turn 4.

📣 Keep them rear facing for as long as possible, my friend! It could save their life.

Kat 🧡

Ps the above clip is from a BRILLIANT YouTube video by ‘Buckle Up With Brutus’. I would fully recommend watching this video, it explains everything beautifully. This is the link:

https://youtu.be/tuZFVPv3Rpk?si=RNH28hCvCzsCxzmC by @safe.sprouts

64

8

2 years ago

It’s World Restart A Heart Day!!
If you’re in Adelaide, head down to

Henley Square, Henley Beach
11am-2pm

Because the Australian Resuscitation Council is here to help you learn/practise CPR including how to use an AED (defibrillator). There are male and female manikins, and baby manikins to practise on.
Please share this- we want as many people as possible down here learning life saving skills!!

See you there! 🧡🧡🧡

Please note this is not a Safe Sprouts event, and it is not an accredited course- it’s a public awareness campaign for the South Australian community to help save lives ♥️

#worldrestartaheart #callpushshock by @safe.sprouts

22

1

3 hours ago

Save those dollars, friend!

If your baby is less than 3 months old, it’s recommended to use nothing but the humble old digital probe thermometer.

Above 3 months, feel free to use a tympanic (ear probe) thermometer if you want to, but don’t feel like it’s compulsory. I personally didn’t. Below 3 months, the ear canal is usually too narrow for a tympanic probe to get an accurate reading.

Infrared thermometers and other non contact thermometers are less recommended as they are often unreliable (yet a lot more expensive and heavily marketed!)

Remember:

If your baby has a temperature of 38°C or higher, and is less than 1 month, the best place for them is your nearest paediatric emergency department.

If your baby has a temperature of 38°C or higher, and is older than 1 month but less than 3 months, they will need to be seen by a doctor.

Do you have an amazing thermometer you swear by? Let us all know below 👇

📚 https://www.rch.org.au/clinicalguide/guideline_index/Febrile_child/ by @safe.sprouts

16

0

a month ago

When it comes to choking prevention, the environment your child is eating in matters MORE than what they’re actually eating.

Look, we spend so much time worrying about quartering grapes and banning popcorn and marshmallows. But… even the safest and most lovingly prepared meal can become a choking hazard if Little Garry decides to eat it whilst climbing the furniture, wandering off, or chucking a tanty (my kids attempt all 3 at least once a day).

Here are my top tips for choking prevention that go beyond quartering the grapes:

1- Sit down to eat.
Not always easy, I know 🙃 But sitting gives their little bodies the stability they need to chew and swallow well.

2- Posture matters.
Upright, feet supported, head slightly forward… it all helps! Reclined eating (like in prams or car seats) just makes it tough for little ones to safely eat, swallow, and spit out the food as they need.

3- Buckle up, Baby!
Falls from high chairs are far more common than choking events. A harness can also help keep baby upright.

4- Supervision.
A serious choking event is quiet. Sitting close means you’ll notice quickly if something’s not right. Sharing meals is also a beautiful way to connect and has huge positive outcomes on mental health 🧡

5- Avoid the 3 D’s.
Dozy, distracted and distressed kids aren’t set up well for eating. Pause before offering or try again at a better time.

And remember to model these behaviours yourself (minus the high chair buckle up, perhaps 😆). Kids learn most by watching us and what we do 🧡 by @safe.sprouts

88

2

10 months ago

Something I’ve NEVER said as a paramedic:
‘Oh lucky that child was in the seat with the bamboo wicking fabric and the cup holder. It probably saved their life’

Something I HAVE said as a paramedic:
‘Oh lucky that child was harnessed in correctly, it definitely saved their life’.

And as an accredited child restraint fitter and educator, I can tell you that there’s a huge misconception that the more expensive a child restraint is, the more safe it is. But I’m here to tell you now, THIS ISN’T TRUE!!

Why?
Because in Australia, we have some of the most stringent child restraint safety standards in the world. So if you have a seat with the little sticker of ticks meaning your seat meets Australian Standards, then that is absolutely good enough, my friend.

What’s far more important than all the ‘safety features’ and bamboo fabrics of the restraint world is the FIT:

✅ The right fit/size for your child
✅ The right fit for your car
✅ The right fit for your family
✅ The right fit for your budget

So, we can all drop the pressure of needing to buy the most expensive seat because of the false notion our child will be safer. That flashy seat with all the bells and whistles doesn’t keep your child safe, the correctly fitting seat does.

Kat 🧡
#carsafety #childrestraint #cpst #expensiveisntalwaysbetter #childharness #childcarsafety #childrenscarseat by @safe.sprouts

124

21

a year ago

A fever is any temperature 38°C and above.

And they are one of THE most important defence mechanisms our bodies have to get rid of unwelcome guests such as viruses and bacteria.

While fevers can be scary in our littlest family members, it’s important to remember that they are a completely normal response, and there’s a lot we can do to keep our child comfortable.

And while my love of fevers is no secret, if your baby is under 3 months, or immunocompromised, they will need to be taken to the ED. This is not because of the fever itself, but to investigate the ‘guest’ who the immune system is trying to fight off.

Comment FEVER for more info

🧡

#Fever #Fevers #FeversInBaby #BabyFirstAid #BabyHydration #FeverInChildren #PainRelief #FeverComfort #SafeSprouts taken in Adelaide Showground by @safe.sprouts

15

4

a year ago

When it comes to cleaning your child’s cuts and grazes, and preventing infection…

🚰 All you need is your humble tap!

First of all, it’s NOT recommended to use any sort of antiseptic solutions, creams or gels on your child’s wound for the following reasons (1):

1️⃣ They can be irritating to the wounds
2️⃣ They can be painful when you apply them
3️⃣ They can delay healing
4️⃣ Some of the stronger ones such as hydrogen peroxide or iodine can even cause tissue damage! 😱

✋But wait- there’s more!!
There’s also NO difference between infection rates between using sterile saline vs tap water… in fact, some studies have shown decreased infection rates when using tap water! (2)

So, unless you’ve been otherwise advised by your child’s doctor, skip the antiseptic solutions, creams and gels, and just run that wound under tap water instead 🙌

Kat 🧡

📚
1 https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Cuts_grazes_lacerations/
2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12712026/ taken in Adelaide, South Australia by @safe.sprouts

23

1

a year ago

Come on.
I know I’m not the only one who has a junk cupboard/drawer/garage/all-of-the-above.

We keep all our medicines and random dangerous ‘junk’ like sparklers, button batteries and matches out of reach above the fridge. But it also makes it harder to keep things organised and sorted because, well, I need to use the kids’ step stool to find anything in it, and I don’t know where the dang stool is most of the time.

But it is time, my friend, to take cleaning out the old junk and medicines cupboard off your “to do list”.

1️⃣ Check expiry dates: pain relief, antihistamines, creams, gels, essential oils, bandages… they all have a shelf life. Check it!
 2️⃣ Clear out the clutter: you don’t need 50 half full bottles of dymadon. Especially ones which expired a few years back. Same with the 12 different syringes that are missing plungers.
 3️⃣ Dispose safely: don’t throw your unwanted meds in the bin. Take them (yes, even creams, gels and blister packs) to your local chemist for safe disposal and recycling. Woooo!! Such a great program!

Happy Spring (cleaning)!

Kat 🧡

#SpringCleaning #DeclutterLife #JunkDrawer #MumLife #ParentHacks #SafeSprouts #MedicineSafety #BabyFirstAid #ButtonBatterySafety #ChildSafety #HotMessCupboard by @safe.sprouts

10

2

a year ago

Every week in Australia, a child is run over in a driveway.
Most are under 5, with little ones aged 1-2 the highest risk.
In most of the cases, the vehicle is driven by someone the child knows; often a parent, relative or family friend.

The driver usually has no idea the child is nearby, and in most cases thought the child was safely inside.

Some of the biggest risk factors:
🚗 Long or shared driveways
🚗 No clear fence or gate to separate play areas
🚗 Reversing vehicles (especially big 4WD’s or utes)
🚗 Poor rear visibility, even with cameras
🚗 Little ones following adults outside without being noticed

A few small changes like the tips above can make your driveway MUCH safer.

Share with someone who has little ones at home 🧡

📚https://www.kidsafevic.com.au/road-safety/driveway-safety/ by @safe.sprouts

25

4

a year ago

Forgetting something?
That top tether strap isn’t optional, my friend… it’s a key safety feature!

BUT, they often gets missed (in over 50% of checks 😱), making their misuse/non-use one of the most common restraint mistakes.

They’re often:
❌ Twisted
❌ Torn
❌ Not clipped in
❌ Clipped to the wrong spot (like a cargo hook instead of the anchor point)

Here’s why top tethers should be top of mind:
1️⃣ They reduce how far your child’s head moves forward in a crash (especially in forward-facing mode)
2️⃣ They help spread crash forces more evenly
3️⃣ They keep the restraint stable and prevent tipping forward or back

It takes just a few seconds to check, but it can make such a big difference!

Go check now! by @safe.sprouts

12

3

a year ago

1 in 30 children will experience a febrile seizure.
1 in 10 adults will have a seizure at some point in their life.
Seizures are so common, and knowing what to do can make all the difference:

🙌 PREPARE, POSITION & PRESS.

Prepare:
🔶 Call an ambulance.
🔶 Mentally prepare yourself, because there’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop a seizure once it starts, and that’s okay.

Position:
🔶 Gently lay your baby, child, or loved one on their side on a soft surface.
(If moving them isn’t safe or possible, just clear any hazards from around them.)

Press:
🔶 Press record on your phone if you can. Paramedics and hospital teams often need to know what the seizure looked like and how long it lasted.
🔶 If recording isn’t possible, try to time the seizure instead.

☝️ And remember: never try to restrain someone having a seizure, or put anything in their mouth (especially your fingers!).

😢 Febrile seizures can be terrifying to watch, but they are very common, and the vast majority of children are completely fine afterwards (even if your nerves aren’t!).
Sending big hugs to every parent who’s been through this.

Kat 🧡 by @safe.sprouts

90

12

a year ago