Emergency First Aid for Babies: Every Parents Should Know

An easy-to-use guide can help refresh your memory when you are in a panic situation. A crying child makes it harder to remember what to do. Every parent wants and aims to give or take proper care of their babies. The most important task in parent’s life is to take proper care of their babies/baby right from their first breath in mother’s womb. If you are a parent, grandparent or caretaker (nurse), learning or knowing first aid will be the most important and effecting thing, which will result in boosting your confidence for taking proper care of the child or baby in emergency. In early age, many children get into many problems like chocking, febrile seizure, burn, cut and swallowing harmful substances.

One of the best ways that new parents, grandparents, and babysitters can prepare for the unexpected is to take classes in first aid and infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Knowing what to do and how to do will help you in taking emergency care, having mental peace, thinking wisely and being calm with confidence. Here is how to handle some of the most common injuries and emergencies that affect children under a year of age.

Chocking - Lodging of food or another thing causes choking. If a baby is chocked, parents should hold them up-side down (bottom should be higher than face) and should strike firmly on back.  After striking, one should press on the lower chest, which will result in dislodging.

Apart from chocking, there are many other emergencies, such as -

• Head and eye injury
• Skin wounds
• Cuts
• Bruises
• Burns
• Fever

What are the first aid accessories for babies?

Many times parents work well in providing first aid treatment to their children for any emergencies, but they fail to complete the task because they lack the availability of products, which can be used or applied on babies.  Following are the products that one needs to have in first aid box at home, which can be useful in any emergencies

Painkiller

Make sure painkillers are not age restricted and can be given to children below the age of 1 year. Consulting a doctor is must before using it.

Dressing Material

Sticking plaster, adhesive tape, bandages and sterile gauze are the minimum products require taking emergency steps in order to treat babies until they concern a doctor. These products are used for controlling or treating minor and major cuts, blister sore spot.

Antiseptic cream

This antiseptic cream is meant to be applied on cuts, minor and major burns to fight and prevent infection. Parents should apply this after cleaning the wound for having a quick recovery

Thermometer

Thermometers are easy to access and are used under the armpit, to get proper information about the body temperature of the babies. Use of thermometer containing mercury should be avoided for babies, because it can cause poison if comes in direct contact with baby.  Ear thermometer is very expensive, but they are very effective and can read body temperature within seconds.

Apart from these compulsory products, baby’s first aid box should contain a pair of scissors, tweezers, ice pack, gels, and a saline solution (an isotonic solution of sodium chloride and distilled water).