Kiddie Care: What to Do When Your Child Hurts Themselves
Children hurt themselves all the time, and that is why parents must be ready to deal with injuries at a moment’s notice. While you don’t necessarily need to bring a complete first aid kit with you everywhere you go, you should be able to treat most basic injuries. Here are a few steps that you can take to make sure that your child’s next accident doesn’t result in a serious medical issue.
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Clean the Wound
As soon as a cut or scrape takes place, the first thing that you need to do is clean and disinfect the area. The vast majority of minor lacerations will heal on their own, but an infection can occur if you don’t act quickly. The easiest way to clean a wound is to wipe down the area with warm water and antibacterial soap. You can also pour a few teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide over the wound once every few hours. This will kill off any lingering germs.
Choose the Right Pain Reliever
Parents should never give their children a regular over-the-counter painkiller unless a doctor has told them to do so. While those painkillers can be effective, they often contain much higher doses than a child needs. A relatively small dose of children’s ibuprofen should help your son or daughter cope with any discomfort they are feeling. Infants under the age of six months should never be given any painkillers that weren’t prescribed by a pediatrician.
Ongoing Care for the Injury
Most bumps and scrapes will fade away after a week or two. During that time, open wounds should be thoroughly cleaned and covered with a fresh bandage once a day. For bruises, your child might benefit from soaking in an Epsom salt bath for 20 or 30 minutes a day. Parents also need to make sure that their children get plenty of rest and eat healthy meals. Without the proper diet, it will be much more difficult for the body to heal itself.
Head, Neck, and Back Injuries
When it comes to injuries involving the head or spine, parents must always err on the side of caution. You should immediately drive to a pediatric urgent care center if the injury is more than a slight bump or bruise. You will also need to keep an eye out for any unusual symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or lethargy. All of those problems are signs that your child might have a concussion.
Being able to take care of minor injuries is an invaluable skill that every parent should learn. With a little bit of knowledge and some basic medical supplies, you can avoid a wide variety of health problems. This is including bacterial and viral infections. If your child’s injury is more serious than a minor scrape or a bruise, you should take them to an urgent care facility like Emergency Care Dynamics or a similar facility. It’s a good idea to locate urgent cares in your area. This is just in case someone is injured and you know where to go.
