As a parent or guardian, your biggest job is to protect your child. You supervise your kids when they are most at risk but that is easier than said. You may turn your back for a little while, and the next thing you hear is them screaming, having touched hot equipment, broken their wrist, or even bleeding. Well, you need to know how to react to save their life or alleviate pain before calling 911 or medical help. In this regard, here are some survival first-aid solutions for parents and caregivers handling kids.
Head Injury
Falls are the primary cause of kids’ injuries and may result in head injury. Some signs and symptoms of head injury include severe headache, confusion, vomiting, difficulty walking, sleepiness, and convulsions. If the head injury is minor, and the kid seems like their usual self, wrap an ice pack around the injured area to ease the pain, administer painkillers like acetaminophen and watch for any symptoms.
If the symptoms are severe, like severe headache or convulsions, you’ll need to keep your kid still and call 911 or rush them to the ER.
Tip: Refrain from using ibuprofen as it could increase the risks of internal bleeding in case of brain injury.
Bleeding cuts
If your kid has a bleeding cut, apply pressure to the area for a few minutes. Once bleeding stops, flush the wound with clean water and soap. You can use natural solutions like medical-grade manuka honey for the cuts. Some of the manuka honey benefits include the natural wound healing, and skin protection properties. Avoid using chemicals like alcohol on the cuts as they will cause more pain, damage the skin, and even prevent quick healing.
Burns
For burns, it does depend on the severity. Generally speaking, hold the area under a cool tap if your kid burns for ten to 15 minutes. You will not need to go to the hospital if it is a minor incident. You can administer painkillers and if they complain of pain, run the area under cold water as needed or wrap it with ice in a towel. You could also use natural products like manuka to the site to fasten healing. For severe burns or burns on critical areas like the eye or genitals, call 911 or rush to the ER.
A Twisted Ankle
If your child twists their ankle, elevate it to a level above the heart. Over the next 48 hours, apply ice packs to the area for 15 minutes every hour to ease the pain. Moreover, you can give them pain killers to reduce swelling and alleviate pain. If the site appears swollen or deformed in that your kid can barely lift it, this could mean the ankle is broken or dislocated. Rush them to the hospital for medical assistance.
Choking
Kids risk choking as they tend to put anything they see in their mouths. If your kid has trouble breathing, puts her hands to her throat, or faints, she could be choking. Talk to them and see if they have difficulty responding. You can use the Heimlich maneuver or rather, an abdominal thrust. Just wrap your hands around the kid’s waist, and make a fist while placing the thumb side of the fist against the upper abdomen just below the ribcage.
Perform upward thrust until the item is expelled. If the kid is a toddler, turn his face down and, using the heel of your firm and between his shoulder blades, administer back blows until the item is expelled. If the child remains unresponsive, rush to the ER or call 911.
Wrap up
As a parent or caregiver, you ought to know what to do after your kid is injured in an emergency to prevent further pain or, in the worst cases scenario, death! You can move fast to administer first aid and then rush them to the ER for medical help.
