Author: Karyn Hindle

Being from NZ, I have a bit of a snake phobia (ok a big one).  During my childhood I played in forests, building cubby houses, climbing wood stacks and rocks with the peace of mind that snakes weren’t something I had to think about.  Since moving here, I have made sure that I had learnt about them so that I could teach my children how to be safe around “snakey places” as well as brush up on the current first aid for snake bites. I...

How do I know?  Nope, not the blossoms or change in weather… it’s the daily sneezing, watery/itchy eyes and running nose of my hay fever suffering children! via GIPHY Pollen spreads far and wide and is nearly impossible to avoid, but if your family suffers from hay fever here are my top non-pharmaceutical tips to prevent or reduce the symptoms of hayfever: Keep doors and windows shut on high pollen count days (or when the grass has been cut),...

I often describe choking as a parent’s worst nightmare.  It is a topic that I understandably get asked about a lot because it causes the most anxiety amongst parents, grandparents and carers.  There is good reason for this as choking can happen quickly, without warning and a life-threatening choke is quiet. Choking happens when an object enters the airway causing a blockage.  This blockage can be partial (they can still...

I have experienced the two sides of the vaccination process, both as a Mum taking my own children for their vaccinations, and as a Practice Nurse, vaccinating countless children.  I want to let you in on a little secret, on either side of the process it is not my favourite job in the world, but it is a really important one. My experiences have shown me that the way it is approached both by the parent and the vaccinator can make a world of...

It is no secret that I believe that first aid is a fundamental life skill.  Over the years people have asked me whether their children should learn first aid and it is no surprise that my response is a great big “YES”.  I know some people are understandably concerned that the topics covered could upset children. However, I believe if taught in the right way, first aid for children can be empowering and can save lives.  Let me...

I have spent 15 years working in General Practice as a Practice Nurse, and I have seen firsthand the positive impact that can come from a good relationship between a Patient and the Practice Team.  One thing that I have noticed is that what we need from a General practice Team can change with each life stage.  This is especially true when we move into parenthood.  During my Parent/Caregiver First Aid courses I talk about the importance of...

As a Nurse in my 20’s I prided myself on being prepared for the unexpected…. then I became a Mother and realised that NOTHING prepares you for the unexpected like children do!  It always amazes me the things that a mother carries around in her handbag.  We prepare for different things based on our children’s age and development.  However, sometimes it’s hard to prepare for the things that we would prefer not to think about, like our children...

These school hols I must have been a little distracted because I have burnt myself twice!   Once on the grill and once on the iron. Both cooking and ironing are clearly dangerous and I do believe there is a good argument for giving up ironing all together… Prevention is the best first aid after all! But in all seriousness, it made me think of the patients that I have seen who have not applied appropriate first aid to a burn and then ended up...

This article was written by Karyn Hindle from Head2Toe First Aid. Karyn is an Adelaide based, Registered Nurse and Trainer with 18+ years of experience dealing with the medical and first aid needs of both adults and children. Visit her website at www.head2toefirstaid.com.au Summer is around the corner and last week my children had their first swim of the season in our pool (yay for “pool baths”)!   I know that water safety is always important,...

Winter bugs have well and truly hit Adelaide!  Everywhere I look, adults and children alike are falling victim to the array of nasty viruses that are doing the rounds.  Given the amount of illness around, I thought it was a good time to bring up a common cause of confusion/concern amongst parents…. whether or not we should treat a temperature. Over the years this question has caused debate and the current thinking is very different from the...

1 in 10 children born in Australia will be diagnosed with a food allergy.  This statistic astounds me.  It means that in a class of 25, 2-3 children on average will have a food allergy.  So, if your child does not have a food allergy, you can fairly safely assume that at some point they will have a friend or classmate that does.  They might want to invite that child over for a playdate or to their birthday party…  so, what can you teach your...

We are really excited to have Karyn from Adelaide based Head2Toe First Aid on board here at Kids in Adelaide to write us some really useful, interesting and important health and first aid articles for our website. Karyn is an Adelaide based, Registered Nurse and Trainer with 18+ years of experience dealing with the medical and first aid needs of both adults and children. She is also a Mother and has firsthand experience dealing with Asthma and...