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When caring for young children, utmost caution is necessary as unfortunate accidents happen frequently. Therefore, all parents need to equip themselves with basic first aid knowledge to provide timely assistance in case of emergencies. Below are some basic first aid tips for children in the following situations: burns, choking, nosebleeds, sprains...
1. Burns
When a child is burned, the first thing to do is to cool the burned area with cold water for at least 10 minutes. It will help reduce swelling. If the child is wearing clothes, gently remove them to avoid causing pain or peeling the skin. If the burn is severe and the clothes are stuck to the burn, leave them on and seek medical help.
After that, bandage the wound with nylon (food wrap) or use a sterile gauze bandage. Especially, do not use bandages with a lot of lint, as they may stick to the skin and cause pain when removed. After providing first aid to the child, if the burn is large and severe, take the child to the hospital for prompt treatment.
2. Nosebleeds
When a child experiences a nosebleed, the mother should have the child sit down and tilt their head back to prevent blood from flowing out of the nose. Ensure they breathe through their mouth and pinch the nostrils shut for 10 minutes. If the bleeding persists, repeat pinching the nose shut two more times.
After the bleeding has stopped, the mother should gently wipe the child's nose clean. Instruct the child not to talk or cough immediately, as it could disrupt the healing blood vessels in the nose and cause another nosebleed.
Mothers should only slightly tilt the child's head back, rather than fully tilting it, as doing so could cause the blood to flow back into the throat, making the child uncomfortable. If bleeding persists for about 30 minutes without stopping, mothers should take the child to see a doctor to identify the cause and treatment.
3. Choking
When a child is choking, they may exhibit symptoms such as gagging or being unable to speak because they cannot breathe. If the obstruction remains despite coughing, the mother needs to administer immediate first aid. If the obstruction does not dislodge with coughing, immediate action is required.
Mothers should assess what the child is choking on. If it's possible to remove it, you should do so, but be sure that you can retrieve the object without pushing it deeper into the throat.
Mothers can also apply some of the following methods:
– For children over 1 year old, mothers can lay the child prone on their lap, then pat 5 times between the shoulder blades with the palm of their hand.
– For infants younger than 1 year old, mothers lay the baby prone on their arm, ensuring the baby's head and neck are securely supported, then pat between the baby's shoulder blades.
– If the above methods are ineffective, flip the baby onto their back, cradle the baby's head in your palm, lower the baby's body down. Use two fingers to press firmly on the breastbone. Repeat this after 3 seconds and look into the baby's mouth. If you see something, pick it out, otherwise continue pressing.
– For children over 1 year old, stand behind them and place your hand in the middle of their back and chest. Place the other hand on top and pull upwards forcefully. Repeat this 5 times.
If the child still does not recover from choking, call for emergency assistance while continuing first aid.
4. Sprains
If a mother suspects her child has sprained, the first thing she should do is make the child sit down. Take a few ice cubes wrapped in a towel and apply to the sore area for about 10 minutes to reduce swelling and bruising, then carefully bandage the wound. Then elevate the child's painful area to reduce blood flow to the wound, helping to reduce swelling.
5. Falls
If a mother sees a child fall unconscious, even for a short period, wrap the child in a blanket to reduce shock, then call for emergency assistance immediately.
– Mothers should place the child in a recovery position if they are still breathing and show no signs of neck or head injury. Look for signs of skull fractures, such as uneven pupils, blood coming from the ears, or clear fluid from the nose.
– Check for any scrapes or bruises on the arms or legs that may have an unusual shape. If you suspect a bone is broken, keep it immobilized until emergency help arrives. Wrap a makeshift bandage around it.
However, for cases where a child falls but remains conscious and shows no serious symptoms, use a damp cloth soaked in cold water and apply it to the injured area for 10 minutes to reduce swelling.
Mothers and family members need to monitor the child for at least 48 hours after the fall to observe the child's condition for any abnormal signs such as dizziness, vomiting, or seeing stars... At this point, you should call the doctor immediately for timely examination.
6. Electric Shock
When a child is experiencing an electric shock, mothers should not touch the child if the source of electricity has not been turned off and is still on the child. Touching it may also put the mother at risk of electric shock.
The first thing mothers should do is immediately turn off the power if possible. When unable to turn off the power, if it's necessary to remove the power source, mothers must be extremely careful. When removing the power source, mothers should stand on dry insulating materials, such as a thick book or a phonebook. Then use a wooden broom, rolled-up newspaper, or a wooden stick (these are items that can insulate) to push the power source away from the child.
Mothers can also loop a rope around the child's arm or ankle and then pull the child away from the power source.
Next, mothers should check the child's breathing. If the child is unconscious but still breathing, then mothers should place the child in a recovery position. Electrical burns can be small but cause internal dangers that mothers may not be aware of, then call for emergency assistance.
7. Poisoning
If you believe the child has inhaled or ingested toxic substances such as cleaning chemicals, medications, or harmful objects, call for emergency assistance immediately and keep the child calm until the doctor arrives.
If possible, find out what they have ingested and bring the container to the hospital. Don't induce vomiting as it will only cause damage to the stomach and esophagus.
If the child vomits spontaneously, take that area to the hospital for analysis.
If the child ingests something that causes throat burns, give them a little water or milk to cool the inside.
8. Unconsciousness
Guide for mothers on how to administer first aid when a child is unconscious.
First, mothers should call for emergency assistance. While waiting for emergency services, follow these steps to administer first aid to the child.
- Mother needs to lift the child's chin with one finger and use the other hand to press the child's forehead down so the child can tilt their head back. When the child's airway is open, check and listen to the child's breathing. If the child shows no signs of breathing, mothers should use artificial respiration for the child.
- Tilt the head back, lift the chin, and close the nose. Take a deep breath, place mother's mouth over the child's mouth, and blow air into the child's mouth for 1 second. Repeat no more than 5 times, check to see if the child's chest rises. If not, check the mouth for obstructions and ensure the head remains tilted back.
- Place your fingers on the child's breastbone. Press hard and fast at a rate of 100 compressions per minute. After 30 compressions, give two rescue breaths to the child to provide oxygen to the lungs. After two rescue breaths, resume chest compressions. Repeat this cycle until breathing resumes.
9. Anaphylactic shock
When a child experiences an allergic reaction or insect bite, they may have symptoms of anaphylactic shock. During shock, the child's blood pressure drops, their face and body may become flushed, and their face may swell, causing difficulty breathing.
First, mothers should determine if the child has a known allergy and carry the appropriate treatment medication. Then, administer the medication into the thigh or buttock.
Next, call for emergency assistance and place the child in the recovery position. If the child cannot breathe and there is no medication available, call for emergency assistance while performing rescue breathing.
10. Heavy bleeding
If a child has a deep cut causing heavy bleeding, rinse it clean, then dry your hands and put on gloves.
Elevate the wound to allow blood to flow to internal organs rather than away from them. Check for any objects embedded in the wound. If there are, leave them in place as removing them will only make matters worse.
Instead, use a cloth to wrap around the wound, padding it so the cloth is higher than the object to avoid pressing it in. Call for emergency assistance immediately.
If nothing is embedded in the wound, apply pressure with a clean cloth to the wound to stop the bleeding and wrap tightly around it, but not too tight to allow blood flow to the fingers and toes. Depending on the severity, call for emergency assistance.
Recovery position
As mentioned above, the recovery position is for an unconscious but breathing child. It helps the child breathe easier and prevents choking from vomiting. (If there is suspicion of head and neck trauma, do not move).
– Mothers should position the child lying on one side, bend one knee up, lower the child's head to prevent them from swallowing drool. Support the neck with a pillow.
– For newborns, mothers should hold the baby in their arms, support the head, and point the face down to avoid choking.
Hopefully, with the information above, mothers will know how to administer first aid when young children encounter accidents. At the same time, mothers should also monitor their children's health to ensure they have the best health.
