First Aid Every Parent Should Know
What would you do if your child was choking? Half of us wouldn’t know how to react in such a situation. “The way you react in the first few minutes after an accident happens to your child is extremely important. It can save their life,” says Joe Mulligan from the British Red Cross, reports the portal Biti roditelj.
A few simple first aid procedures for children are easy to learn. Here is what Dr. Mulligan advises:
When a child is poisoned
What you should do: Try to find out what the child swallowed, how much and when. Call the emergency services immediately and bring the bottle the child drank from with you to the hospital. If the child vomited, take a sample of the vomit with you as well.
What you must not do: Do not induce vomiting, as the substance that harms the child going down can also harm them coming back up. Do not give the child anything to drink, as some substances are absorbed faster when dissolved.
When a child is burned or scalded
What you should do: Hold the burned area under cold running water for 10 minutes – this is the time it takes to stop the skin from cooking further. Cover the burn with sterile gauze.
What you must not do: Never burst blisters or forcibly remove clothing from the burned area. Do not apply butter, oil, or any lotions to the burn.
When a child is choking
What you should do: Bend the child’s head forward toward their knees, then hit them firmly between the shoulder blades four to five times and encourage them to cough. Stand behind the child, place your fist at the bottom of their breastbone, put your other hand over your fist, and press sharply inward five times. Repeat the same technique for the abdomen: place your fist in the middle of the child’s abdomen, just below the ribs, and press upward firmly five times (this procedure is not suitable for babies under one year). After three failed attempts, call emergency services.
What you must not do: Do not put your fingers in the child’s mouth unless you can clearly see and remove the object. Do not shake the child or turn them upside down.
