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First Aid for Babies and Children

Learn life-saving skills to treat choking, burns, wounds or cardiac arrest in children through this free online first aid course.

40,016 enrolled on this course

Red Cross First Aid workers help a teenage girl onto a stretcher.
  • Duration

    2 weeks
  • Weekly study

    2 hours

Each year around 830,000 children die as a result of an accidental injury – whether from road traffic crashes, drowning, burns, falls or poisoning.

When a medical professional is not available, family members, carers and teachers must be the first to react to accidents. It is their timely and effective actions that save lives.

Learn first aid techniques that will save children’s lives

On this free online course, you will learn to apply first aid, including CPR, effectively in the five most common causes of injuries in children:

  • Choking
  • Bleeding
  • Burns
  • Wounds and abrasions
  • Cardiac arrest.

In just four hours, you will learn key life-saving skills, to increase children’s survival rates and lessen the severity of injuries. We’ll cover key concepts, like basic care and assessment, and how to carry out first aid on babies, infants and children safely and effectively.

Learn with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

The course is delivered by subject matter first aid experts at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). For more than 100 years, the IFRC has been the world’s leading provider of first aid training courses.

All of the techniques that you’ll learn in this course are in accordance with the IFRC’s latest International First Aid and Resuscitation Guidelines.

When you complete the course, you will have the option to buy a Statement of Participation from FutureLearn. You will not hold a formal first aid qualification. To become a certified first aider, you can contact your respective National Society for more information on the available first aid courses and training in your country.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Learners will be able to identify and demonstrate the key principles of first aid including the recovery position and initial assessment.
  • Learners will gain an understanding of techniques to manage choking in an emergency situation involving a child or infant.
  • Learners will gain an understanding of techniques to manage minor bleeds in an emergency situation involving a child or infant.
  • Learners will gain an understanding of techniques to manage minor burns in an emergency situation involving a child or infant.
  • Learners will gain an understanding of techniques to manage minor wounds in an emergency situation involving a child or infant.
  • Learners will gain an understanding of key cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques in the case of cardiac arrest involving a child or infant.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for people who work or live with children and young people, such as family members, carers and teachers. No previous experience of first aid is needed.

What do people say about this course?

"A great re-fresher for me. Very informative, perfect course for all."

"Thank you for providing this course, it has been very informative and I feel confident in my ability now to help in an emergency situation."

Who will you learn with?

Senior Officer - Care in the Community,
Health and Care Department
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Geneva, Switzerland

Head of the IFRC Global First Aid Reference Centre

Mark works in the Health and Care Department at the IFRC in Geneva. He is also the coordinator of the IFRC's MOOC project.

Who developed the course?

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 190 national societies and 17 million volunteers around the world.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

Do you know someone who'd love this course? Tell them about it...

You can use the hashtag #FLchildfirstaid to talk about this course on social media.