Kids Health Natural excitement and curiosity are normal and healthy parts of development, but they present special challenges for child safety. Children don’t usually spend much time thinking about how to stay safe and healthy.
Th at’s mom and dad’s job. While scrapes and bruises are also a normal part of childhood, there are more serious threats, such as poisoning and burns. Keeping key fi rst-aid supplies handy for common injuries is a great fi rst step in a child safety plan. 9 fi rst-aid essentials 1. Pain relief medication. Child safety choices include acetaminophen (Tylenol) and non-steroid antiinfl ammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve). Monitor children’s dosages carefully.
For instance, if they’re sick with a cough and congestion and you’ve already given them a medicine with acetaminophen (like a cold remedy), you don’t want to give them another dose of Tylenol at the same time. 2. An assortment of bandages. A two-inch-square sterile gauze pad can clean almost any wound, says Haller. In addition, have adhesive-free dressings, other sizes of sterile pads, or a roll of gauze for minor burns or kneecap scrapes.
Tape and strip bandages in a variety of sizes work for cuts and blisters, and an elastic wrap like an Ace bandage is eff ective for sprains. 3. Soap for clean-up. Always wash a wound before dressing it. You might also want to have an antiseptic solution or towelettes handy, and rubbing alcohol, which Haller says makes a good disinfectant. 4. Antibiotic ointment. Choose today’s gold standard, Polysporin, or the old standby, bacitracin.
For a large open wound on a frightened young patient, you can put the ointment on the bandage pad, instead of directly on the injury. 5. Tweezers. Essential for the removal of splinters or dirt particles from a cut or puncture wound, tweezers should be wiped with alcohol before using. If possible, have both a pointed tip and a slanted tip pair. 6. Itch relief. Choose a few diff erent formats to cover all itchy bases.
Calamine lotion is still a soother for poison ivy and the like. Overthe-counter (OTC) hydrocortisone cream is great for dermatitis-type skin rashes and irritations, while an OTC antihistamine like Benadryl (a cold symptom and nasal allergy mainstay), is handy for an itchy initial reaction to a wasp or bee sting. If your child breaks out in hives and has any throat swelling, signs of a serious allergic reaction, call your doctor immediately. 7. “Instant” ice packs.
Th ese disposable packs don’t need to be kept frozen and are literally a snap to use to reduce swelling after an injury. 8. A tooth-preserving storage device. Should one of your child’s permanent teeth get knocked out by accident, a product like Save-A-Tooth will hold and protect it on your way to the dentist, improving the chances of it being replanted. 9. A sterile eye wash. Th is is handy to fl ush out any dirt or foreign particles that get into the eyes. Taking time to ensure child safety is important. -everydayhealth.com
