If your child were to suffer from some potentially life-threatening situations, would you know how to save his or her life? Or will you just watch helplessly? Seeing your child in an emergency can be indeed horrifying but feeling helpless can be worse. Below are first aid tips that could save the day.

By Josephine Agbonkhese

 Fever

Fever in children is usually caused by infection. It also can be caused by chemicals, poisons, medicines, an environment that is too hot.

Most pediatricians consider any thermometer reading 100.4°F (38°C) or higher as a fever. However, the way the child looks and acts is more important than how high the child’s ­ temperature is.

To make the child a bit comfortable, dress him in light clothing, use cold compress, give him cool liquids to drink, and keep him calm.

Call the pediatrician right away if the child has a fever and appears very ill or is fussy, has any condition causing immune suppression such as sickle cell disease, or has been in an overheated place.

Skin Wound

Any open wound may need a tetanus booster even when the child is currently immunized.  Ask the pediatrician if the child needs a tetanus booster.

Bruises:  Apply cool compresses. Call the pediatrician if the child has a crush injury, large bruises, continued pain, or swelling.

Cuts:  Rinse small cuts with water until clean. Use direct pressure with a clean cloth to stop bleeding and hold in place for 1 to 2 minutes. If the cut is not deep, apply an antibiotic ointment; then cover the cut with a clean ­ bandage. For major bleeding,continue direct pressure with a clean cloth until help arrives.

Scrapes:  Rinse with clean, running tap water for at least 5 minutes to remove dirt and germs. Do not use detergents,  alcohol, or peroxide. Apply an antibiotic ointment and a bandage that will not stick to the wound.

Puncture Wounds:  Do not remove large objects (such as a knife or stick) from a wound. Call for help. Such objects must be removed by a doctor. The child may need a ­ tetanus booster.

Bleeding:

  Apply pressure with gauze over the bleeding area for  1 to 2 minutes. If still bleeding, add more gauze and apply pressure for another 5 minutes.

 Eye Injuries

If anything is splashed in the eye, flush gently with water for at least 15 minutes. Call a pediatrician for further advice. Do NOT touch or rub an injured eye. Do NOT apply medicine. Do NOT remove objects stuck in the eye. Cover the painful or injured eye with an eye shield until you can get medical help.

Fractures & Sprains

If an injured area is painful, swollen, or deformed, or if motion causes pain, wrap it in a towel or soft cloth and make a splint with cardboard or other firm material to hold the arm or leg in place. Do not try to straighten. Apply ice or a cool compress wrapped in thin cloth for not more than 20 minutes. Call the pediatrician or seek emergency care. If there is a break in the skin  near the fracture or if you can see the bone, cover the area  with a clean bandage, make a splint as described above, and  seek emergency care.

Burns & Scalds

General Treatment:  First, stop the burning process by removing the child from contact with hot water or a hot object (for example, hot iron). If clothing is burning, smother flames.  Remove clothing unless it is firmly stuck to the  skin. Run cool water over burned skin until the pain  stops. Do not apply  ice, butter, grease, medicine, or ointment.

Burns with Blisters:  Do not break the blisters. Ask the pediatrician how to cover the burn. For burns on the face, hands, feet, or genitals, seek emergency care.

Large or Deep Burns:  Call your doctor immediately. After stopping and cooling the burn, keep the child warm and  covered until help arrives.

Electrical Burns:  Disconnect electrical power. If the child is still in contact with an electrical source, do NOT touch the child with bare hands. Pull the child away from the power source with an object that does not conduct electricity (such as a wooden broom handle) only after the power is turned off. ALL electrical burns need  to be seen by a doctor.

 Nosebleeds

Keep the child in a sitting position with the head tilted slightly forward. Apply firm, steady pressure to both nostrils by squeezing them between your thumb and index finger for 5 minutes. If bleeding continues  seek emergency care.