Whilst on the subject, the doctor added that sadly, some parents with little knowledge of first aid had inflicted more harm on their child while trying to help. For example, children with burns turned up in the emergency rooms with honey, butter, dark soya sauce and even toothpaste on their wounds.

The doctor said that the right thing to do when dealing with burns caused by steam, boiling water, hot oil, hot soups or fire is to cool the burnt area under running water and then cover with a clean, sterile cloth before seeking medical attention.

I used to be terrified at the sight of a bleeding child. When one of my sons cut himself, I would turn pale at the sight of blood.

However, after watching how a paediatric surgeon handled a minor surgery and stopped the bleeding, I am glad to say I no longer fear the sight of blood.

The right thing to do whenever there is any bleeding from cuts is to apply pressure with a clean, sterile cloth on the wound. Blood will stop oozing out after a while.

As parents we want to keep our children safe from harm and danger. But accidents do happen, and a little first aid knowledge can help greatly in an emergency.

Recently, I attended a course on cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for infants and children. It was conducted by a consultant paediatrician/neonatologist, who is also a certified neonatal resuscitation programme instructor and paediatric advanced life support instructor.

Many of us may think that CPR is something for medical personnel only. The truth is, CPR can be learnt by any of us under proper guidance.

I would like to share with parents some of the things I have learnt at the course. However, there are limitations here as certain things need to be learnt hands-on. For example, it is difficult to describe just how hard the chest compressions and back blows should be, or how fast should the cycle of breath and chest compressions be. It is best to get professional guidance on the proper application.