British Red Cross Baby and Child – iOS and Android – Free
This is a follow up to the generic first aid app launched by the British Red Cross not that long ago. It’s aimed at adults to focus on what to do if first aid is required for your child or baby specifically. Focusing on 17 different types of emergency ranging from allergic reaction to vomiting and diarrhoea, in alphabetical order.
Inside the app is a ‘learn’ section so you can learn all about what to do in the event of an emergency through 30 second videos and text explanations. You can then take tests and get a score to make sure you are fully prepared to deal with a crisis (I took one of them and can now confirm I know what to do in the event of being around a child with a broken leg before calling 999). There’s also an ’emergency’ section, although this features the same content as the ‘learn’ section, they’ve just added a direct dial to 999 button.
In the ‘prepare’ section you can get advice on how to make your home safer, things to take away with you on holiday and other general tips to try and prevent any accidents from happening. Some of these are a little bit patronising however, my personal favourites being ‘Sitting around a table during meal times can reduce the chance of children choking’ and ‘if it’s sunny, apply sun cream’. There’s also a link to the Red Cross website to encourage kids to learn first aid for themselves, which would be pretty handy.The last menu along the bottom is a toolkit section to help you find the nearest hospital, using the phones GPS.
It’s a really well designed teaching app, the interface is simple and the layout is easy to follow. All of the videos are built into the app perfectly and there are no glitches that I could find. The tests are a really good idea, the scores at the end will show people how competent they will be in the event of an emergency. Being a charity app, it’s completely advert free, there’s just a small button in the top right hand corner which encourages you to donate to the Red Cross and tells you about the work they are doing.