7 Tips To Quickly Treat Your Baby’s Cuts, Burns & Bites
Your child is exploring new avenues every single day, and his journey involves a lot of risks. It is best to be well-versed with what should be done in case of any unforeseen incident.
Here are some important first aid methods for specific problems your baby may experience. They provide instant relief to your baby and can save him from serious danger.
Important First Aid Methods For Baby
In the journey of parenthood, ensuring your baby’s safety is paramount. Accidents can happen unexpectedly, and having a solid understanding of essential first aid methods. From handling cuts and falls to addressing electric shock incidents, this article explores vital first aid techniques tailored to safeguarding your baby’s well-being.
1. First Aid in Case of Fall
Focus on: Keeping your child conscious
A fall usually doesn’t bother the baby for long. However, falls are one of the most underrated accidents, especially in small kids whose bodies are not fully developed and hence prone to more damage.
In case your child has got a bump after a fall, you should comfort him and let him sleep. A restorative nap will help him to get out of this emotional trauma. If your child is showing symptoms such as change in colour of skin on the body part that got hit, difficulty in breathing, unusual drowsiness, pupils of unequal size, difficulty with coordination, vomiting – you need to rush him to the doctor.
2. First Aid in Case of Swallowed Object/Substance
Focus on: Ensuring it’s NOT poisoning
When your baby has swallowed something that is not sharp, it will go inside the body and move out in his stool. You need not worry about it, but you need to keep an eye on baby. If your child starts vomiting, drooling, making a sound while inhaling, coughing and declining to eat, then consult a doctor. However, if she has swallowed dangerous objects like a needle or a small magnet, then you need to rush to the doctor.
It is also possible for babies to gulp products that can cause poisoning. If you baby has swallowed any kind of pills, crayons/paints, cleaning products, baby products etc., make sure you follow proper first aid measures against poisoning, and rush your baby to the hospital as soon as you can.
3. First Aid in Case of Excessive Bleeding
Focus on: Arresting the bleeding
The longer your child bleeds, the more dangerous his situation is going to become. Whenever there is a case of excessive bleeding, you need to prevent your child from getting into shock. So your first concern in case of excessive bleeding is to arrest the bleeding.
Elevate the injured part of the body to stop the blood flow. You may lay the baby on the floor and elevate his head to avoid the blood rush to his brain. Use a sterile bandage or cloth to dress the wound and apply some pressure so that the bleeding stops. You may use more than one layer to pad it nicely. Do not tie the area too tight, this will disturb his blood circulation.
4. First Aid in Case of Burns
Focus on: Cooling the body down as quickly as you can
Get your toddler away from the source of the burn. If possible, get him to a source of water as fast as you can, and try to bring his body temperature down. Most damage is done to burn victims because their skin does not return to its critical temperature. Hence this should be your focus.
Do not try to peel clothes off your child if the clothes have already started to stick to his skin. Just focus on putting the fire out. You should rush your child to a doctor for any kind of burn apart from a very mild first degree burn where you will see a mild scar like a sunburn. Remember, most burns do not become serious with a good presence of mind.
5. First Aid in Case of Insect Bite
Focus on: Washing the bite clean
Insect bite is a common problem with children and you need to keep a check. Always clean your home with a disinfectant to keep common insects away.
Do not scratch the affected area. Scratching can lead to bleeding and infection. If required, cover the bite with a band-aid to prevent scratching. Wash the area with soap and water. Apply a cool cream to avoid infection and soothe the pain. You can use these home remedies to relieve pain from specific insect bites such as wasp bites or bee-stings. Insect bites usually do not last more than a few hours, but if they do, you should consult your medical practitioner.
6. First Aid in Case of Cuts
Focus on: Washing the wound clean
It is very important to ensure that the object that left your baby with a cut did not also leave your baby with germs or microbes that might cause an infection! Make sure you wash the wound clean with a mild antiseptic.
Do not hold a cut for too long under running water. In order to arrest bleeding, apply a little pressure, and dab the wound with a clean cloth. If the cut is not too deep, a band-aid might be enough. Otherwise, take your child to the doctor for a proper dressing of the wound.
7. First Aid in Case of Electric Shock
Focus on: Immediate Response and Monitoring
Babies are naturally curious and may be tempted to touch electrical outlets or cords. If your baby experiences an electric shock, unplug the source immediately if safe to do so. If you witness your baby experiencing an electric shock, your immediate priority is to disconnect the power source. Unplug the cord or turn off the electrical supply if it’s safe to do so. This will prevent the continuation of the shock.
How to Create a First Aid Kit?
To be prepared to administer the above remedies if and when needed, you should have a first-aid kit handy. You may buy a ready-made first aid kit from the market or create your own.
- When buying a ready-made kit, you will need to check the items and go through the manual thoroughly so that you remember things in times of need.
- Usually, no commercial kit will be perfect; you may buy it and add items according to your need.
- When you are creating your own first aid kit, you need to include –
- band-aids
- gauze
- antiseptic lotion
- scissors
- adhesive tape
- thermometer
- cold packs
- tweezers
- first aid manual
- important phone numbers.
- You will have to include specific medication according to your child’s needs.
Remember to keep your first aid kit updated; replace used medicines and throw away the expired ones. Carrying a first aid kit whenever you are travelling is advisable. Also make sure the first aid kit is away from the reach of your child. Take care!
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