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.

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.