Whenever there are children around there is bound to be more than one accident every so often. This is especially common when they grow into toddlers and are curious about everything around them. It can be very frustrating having to deal with injuries more than once a week and especially if you have no idea what to do.
There are those parents who know a little first aid but some things remain unclear. Don’t worry if you fall under that category because there are many parents out there who have doubts about how they handle toddler injuries. Here are just a few of the things many are unsure about.
Do wounds heal faster with a bandage or without?
For most parents (especially new ones), the first thing they do to a wound after cleaning it is wrapping a bandage around it. Some say that letting the wound breathe may speed up the healing process and so keep bandages as far away as possible.
The truth is that a bandage will prevent scabs from forming. It will also keep the dirt out and therefore prevent infections from occurring. Once the wound has begun to heal, giving it a little air may indeed help to heal it faster. You can therefore keep the bandage on for shorter hours.
Will my child need a tetanus shot?
A parent’s biggest worry is their child succumbing to any injuries sustained. Imagining your child’s jaws locking and many other scary things is not interesting at all so it is normal that many parents think of tetanus shots whenever their child gets a scrape, no matter how tiny.
Not all injuries require a tetanus jab though. If it came about because of something rusty, dusty or dirty then you can start thinking about a jab. It is however not necessary if your child had already received their immunization when they were younger.
How do I get him to sit with an icepack?
Ice packs are cold but should ideally be soothing to someone who is hurt. The reason why many kids have a difficult time accepting an ice pack is because it might be too cold for them. The pain goes away but the cold takes its place.
Instead of putting ice in a thin plastic bag where the cold becomes extreme on your child’s skin, wrap it in a dry washcloth and it will still work. You can even go a step further and use compresses shaped like animals.
Do I have to use ointment?
Many people don’t keep ointment in their homes and this could be attributed to the fact that they don’t really find it useful for handling cuts and bruises. It turns out that it is actually useful because of its antibiotic properties.
Such ointments are however only useful when applied to open cuts and wounds. Be careful not to overuse them because too much use of antibiotics is suspected to cause tough to treat staph infections.
How to calm your child
Children have a hard time staying calm when they are hurt (even when they are not in pain). This may get in the way of you applying your first aid skills. Keeping your child distracted is therefore a good idea.
Talk to them and tell jokes as you do the first aid or get someone to do the distraction as you take care of the injury. Things will move along faster this way.
What you need in your first aid supplies
First aid is the first care your child will receive before they get to hospital (if they will need to) so it would be wise to have the right equipment on hand.
You will need (among others) bottled water, non-latex gloves, alcohol wipes, hand sanitizer, pain relievers, oral antihistamine, antibiotic ointment, thermometer, tweezers, blanket, instant cold compress, calamine lotion, hydrocortisone cream, and breathing barriers (in case of CPR).