What To Do When Your Child Gets Injured At Home

When it comes to childhood injuries, they can happen pretty much anywhere and anytime. Injuries can happen while playing, during sports activities, or even while walking around the house. Here are some of the most common injuries and what you can do to keep your kids safe while having fun:

Bumps and bruises

These are the most common type of injury, and usually, happen when kids fall or bump into something. Of course, sometimes you can prevent these from happening by being more careful, but when they do happen, you need to know how to handle the situation.

First aid tip: Don’t panic and make the injury worse. If your child gets a bump or bruise, you should apply pressure to the area with a clean cloth or bandage for 10 minutes to stop any bleeding. Then, carefully wash the area with soap and water.

Poisoning

These happen when kids swallow something toxic, like medicine, or drink a poisonous substance. You could always put such harmful items out of your child’s reach, but it’s still possible for them to get into things that you don’t want them to have.

First aid tip: Try to find out what the substance is. If you know, call poison control immediately and tell them the name of the product as well as the amount ingested. If you don’t know, then take your child to the nearest emergency room as quickly as possible to find out what the poison is and get your child treated.

Cuts and scrapes

These can occur when kids fall on something sharp, or when they scrape their skin against a rough surface. You can prevent these by making sure your kids are wearing the proper safety gear like helmets when they play certain sports like hockey or skateboarding.

First aid tip: If it’s a small scratch or scrape, just wash the area with soap and water, apply an antibiotic cream or ointment depending on their age, and cover it with a clean bandage. But if it’s a deep cut or scrape, which will usually bleed a lot, hold the area below the heart and use direct pressure to stop the bleeding.

Burns

These can happen when kids come in contact with a hot object, like a stove burner or a curling iron. First-degree burns usually cause skin redness, second-degree burns affect the top layer of skin, and third-degree burns go all the way through to the nerves and tissues.

First aid tip: If it’s a first-degree burn, which causes redness, place the area under cold running water for a few minutes to ease the pain and prevent any blisters from forming. But if it’s a second or third-degree burn, you should immediately go to an urgent care center and be seen by a doctor. This is because there may be deeper damage that you can’t see.

Allergic reactions

These can happen when kids come in contact with an allergen to which they have a sensitivity. The reaction will usually begin with some redness and irritation, but can quickly worsen to a life-threatening situation if not treated.

First aid tip: If your child simply has redness and irritation, give them an antihistamine to ease the symptoms. But if their throat or tongue swells up, call 911 and perform CPR until you get to the hospital.

Head injuries

These occur when kids hit their heads on something hard, like a coffee table or the side of a pool. If you suspect your child has a concussion, keep them awake and sitting up until you can get them to see their doctor.

First aid tip: If your child is already knocked out, you will need to perform CPR until help arrives. You should do CPR to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive” because the song’s tempo is around the same beat as a human heart. Once you’ve gotten to the hospital, doctors will take over and treat your child for any further problems.

Insect stings and bites

Insects are everywhere, and sometimes they can bite or sting your child. If it’s only one small spot, you may decide to leave the stinger in there while you wait for the swelling and pain to go away.

First aid tip: If the stinger has been removed, then you should clean the area with soap and water, apply an antibiotic ointment, and keep it covered. If your child has a severe allergic reaction that involves hives or difficulty breathing, then take them to the nearest urgent care center for treatment.

While you may not always know what’s going to happen, when your kid gets injured, the most important thing is to try to remain calm before doing anything. By using these first aid tips, you can effectively take care of any injuries your child might have.