First Aid for Children

The best bit is that you do not need to be a doctor or medical practitioner to do it. In fact, it is something that ideally everyone should be aware of. A lot of lives can be saved by performing the basic treatment on an injured person before a hospital ambulance comes to pick up the person.

Although they will not be expected to perform the same on elder people, they can treat their own injuries, while playing sports running on the sidewalk. Not all parents can be home to treat the wounds, and it is silly to trouble a doctor over slight matters like this. So knowledge of first aid for children is quite handy for kids to take care of themselves.

One of the simplest and most essential lessons is to know how to tie a bandage. Kids keep on falling and getting themselves hurt. So, first, teach them how to tie a bandage to the wounded area. Firstly, it is important to clean the area with water. Then, using a cotton swab, antiseptic should be applied.

Applying an antiseptic is very important, as bacteria and other germs gain access to the body through the wound. So, it is good to clean the wound first. In case you don't have an antiseptic, use an anti-bacterial soap. If the wound is small, a band-aid will do, but if it is a big wound, you will need a gauze.

Another wound that kids routinely get is insect bites. In case of an insect bite, it is important to clean the bite with antiseptic and water. Again, insect bites leave the skin open, so an anti-bacterial is a must. Insects often function as vectors - they act as carriers of the germs of various diseases.

Hence, the use of soap is recommended. Apply ice to the wound for around 20 minutes. In case of spider bites, use antibiotic creams to avert the risk of infection.

Nosebleeds are another common occurrence. Luckily, treating them is very simple and quite within the scope of kids. In case of a nosebleed, make sure that you lean forward and pinch the bottom part of your nose. Do not lean backwards, as the blood might enter your wind pipe through your nose, causing complications.

Lean forward and pinch the nose till the bleeding stops. Typically, the bleeding will stop within 10 minutes as the blood will clot. Pinching the nose will stop the loss of blood.

There are often chances that your little ones might come in contact with some hot substances and suffer minor burns. So, you can teach them how to deal with minor burns. The way is to cool the burn by holding the wounded part under a cold water stream. Then, apply a pain relieving ointment on the burn.

Small kids may have allergies to a lot of things and might develop rashes on contact. There are various creams available based on the type of rash such as calamine lotion and zinc oxide ointment.

These were the common first aid lessons, which you can teach your kids. These safety measures are simple and are required quite frequently. These are some treatments which kids should ideally be well-acquainted with.

Disclaimer: This AptParenting item is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.