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Basic First Aid For Children


With children, there's bound to be days where they come home crying (or sometimes smiling away) about cuts, scratches or grazes. They obviously may not know the seriousness of these. For them, it hurts and you, their parent, have got to do whatever it takes to make the pain go. Did you know this could be made really easy, and give you less reason to panic, only if you had a basic, but good first-aid kit at home?

Here are a few things that could help you help your child in case of little mishaps. 

1. Insect bite or sting

The first step would be to remove the sting that was left behind. It is best to just scrape it off with the help of fingernails, rather than using tweezers, which could squeeze the sting and inject venom into the bloodstream. If there is any itching sensation, clean the area with some cold water and then apply a topical ointment or cream like calamine lotion. Avoid scratching the area, as this could aggravate the skin and cause secondary infections.

2. Glass or splinter

In case a glass breaks and a piece goes into the skin, the area around it should first be cleaned with soap and water. Next, with a pair of clean tweezers (it may be cleaned with some rubbing alcohol), slowly pull the splinter/glass piece out.

If the piece is too hard to remove or if there is more than one piece, then wrap the area around with a clean cloth and then immediately contact a doctor.

3. Burns

In case of any burns or scalds, hold the burned area under cold running water for at least 5 minutes or until the pain subsides. If cold water isn’t available, hold a cold compress or ice bag against the area till the pain subsides.

If the burns are more severe or cover more of the skin, don’t bother with the cold compress and call the doctor immediately.

4. Cuts or scrapes

First stop the bleeding, if any, by holding a clean cloth firmly against the area for 3-10 minutes. Next, clean the area with lukewarm water and pat dry. If the wound is dirty, use soap while washing it. If the skin is broken, apply an anti-biotic ointment on the area. You can use a band-aid once this is done. 

If the wound is too deep, doesn’t stop bleeding or was caused by an animal bite, call the doctor immediately.

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