British Red Cross: First Aid for a Diabetic Emergency

British Red Cross: First Aid for a Diabetic Emergency 

Easter is just around the corner, and along with a visit from the Easter bunny, there may be more sweet treats in your setting. If you have children in your care with diabetes, it’s important to be prepared, to ensure that they can enjoy the festivities without feeling excluded. Share our handy first aid tip, which this month features a diabetic emergency (low blood sugar), with your team and carers to help a child with a diabetic emergency. 

Signs and symptoms of a diabetic emergency vary from person to person. Some common ones include:

- They may be hungry, have clammy skin, be sweaty, weak or feeling faint. 
- They may feel drowsy or confused. 
- If you know the child you may be able to tell they are behaving strangely or acting irrationally.

Steps to take 

1. Help them to sit down and give them something sugary to eat or drink. 
- In diabetic emergencies, blood sugar levels can become low; this can cause someone to collapse. Giving them something sugary will help raise their blood sugar levels and so improve their bodily function. 

 2. Stay with them to make sure they respond to the sugar. 
- As they start to recover give them more sugar. 
- Help them to rest until they feel better. 
- They may need to test their blood sugar using their glucose testing kit - you can help them to do this. 

 If there is no improvement, call 999 for emergency help. 

Paediatric first aid training

Our two-day EYFS compliant first aid course is ideal for people who work with young children, such as nursery staff or childminders. Book online today! 

Don't forget, if you're a Morton Michel policyholder you can get 10% discount on the British Red Cross' paediatric training courses through our exclusive ChildCare Club. Find out more here.

Please note, the information in this article is provided by the British Red Cross and does not represent the views or opinions of Morton Michel.