Top First Aid Remedies For 4 Emergencies

As I pondered over what I should write for my readers today, I had a hunch I would write about the first aid remedies for 4 emergencies in children. This made me recollected the words of a first aid instructor and her very informative booklet; these skills were vital for anyone involved in childcare. Dealing with these emergencies involved being calm and using one’s common sense; it is futile to be panicked.   

Here are the first aid remedies for 4 emergencies:

Burns and scalds: Quite common among young children, hot water is the main cause of severe and fatal scalding injuries. Prevent burns and scalds in young children by keeping them  out of the kitchen; use back rings on the cookers and turning saucepan handles away from the edge. Avoid drinking anything hot with the child on your lap or arms and place hot drinks out of children’s reach. Be cautious and check that the water is not too hot before bathing. The use of cordless kettle is highly recommended. 

If you cannot prevent burns and scalds then treat it; run cold water on the affected area for at least 10 minutes; avoid applying creams, lotions, butter or fat or any adhesive dressings and breaking blisters.  Avoid infection by covering the area with cling film or a clean pillowcase.

Choking: Young children are prone to choking by small objects like grapes, marbles or small toys; prevent it by choosing age appropriate toys for children. Keep small objects in a child’s reach; also encourage older children to keep their toys away from them.

In case your child chokes, first look into the baby’s mouth and remove all visible objects. Next keep the baby’s face down with the forearm, with the hand supporting the head and neck; by keeping his/her head lower than body give 5 firm blows between shoulder blades with heel of hand. If the choking continues consult a medical professional.  

Falls: Falls are quite common in young children when they learn to walk, when they roll off edge of a changing table, bed or sofa, down the stairs and out of windows and balcony. Avoid serious falls in young children by putting baby bouncers on the tables and beds, keeping chairs and climbing objects away from windows and balconies, fitting locks on windows upstairs and keeping the balcony doors locked. 

Act promptly; if the child has bumped his head hold a cold compress or an ice pack for 10 minutes or longer; take your child to the accident and emergency (A&E) department of your local hospital if he/she has a minor head injury and continues to cry for a long time. You should also take the child to A&E department if he/she has a headache, is unusually sleepy or sick, has a seizure, is unconscious, develop a squint or blurred vision, or is walking unsteadily.

Suffocation and strangulation: Avoiding this fourth medical emergency in young children involves taking precautions; keep plastic bags, balloons, and clothing with cords, dummies on necklace cords and bag straps and sacks out of their reach. Also keep curtains and blind pull strings short or out of children’s reach. Suffocation and strangulation prevention also requires putting net over cots and keeping cats out of the bedroom as they could suffocate your child by getting on the cots or beds and falling asleep in wrong places. 

Render first aid to your suffocated or strangulated child by removing the cause of the suffocation/strangulation; if the child becomes unconscious or is not breathing then start CPR.

Last but most important it is always best to attend a first-aid course to be effective in your efforts.