Protect Your Child from Springtime Injuries

It’s spring! The first rays of the spring sun guarantee that outdoor fun, and lots of it, will be the first item on your kids’ agenda. They’ve patiently sat through the winter, and now it’s time for the young ones to get out of the house and become balls of energy once more. While an active child is often a healthy child, parents are rightfully concerned that spring outdoor activities – like trekking, swimming, biking, tree climbing, beehive punting, racing and chasing across the playground at collision speeds – increase the potential for injury. Rest assured that your child’s minor scuffs and injuries can be easily treated. We’ve put together a first-aid kit checklist and some simple advice for treating the nine most common warm-weather injuries.

Common Injuries

Cuts and scrapes

Skin-level wounds

Cuts and scrapes are an inevitable part of childhood, but they shouldn’t stop you or your kids from having fun. To treat them, simply clean the area around the wound with soap and water. This will flush out any bits of dirt and irrigate the wound. Apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Then, apply an antibiotic ointment and bandage the wound to keep it protected.

Deeper wounds

Any cut that goes deeper than the top layer of skin may need stitches. Generally, the sooner stitches are put in, the lower the risk of infection. If your child needs stitches, contact your physician immediately.

Bites and stings

Prevention is always better than cure. Wear adequate protective clothes when trekking to prevent bug bites and stings. If your child has already been bitten or stung, you can apply a low potency anti-inflammatory cream on small insect bites to prevent itchiness and further swelling.

Burns and blisters

First-degree burns

First-degree burns can be treated at home. In a first-degree burn, only the top layer of skin (epidermis) is affected. The skin will be red and painful but still feel normal. Run cold water over the burn area for at least 10 minutes. A bag of frozen veggies will work nicely as a cold compress for pain control. A first-degree burn should heal within one week.

Second-degree burn

Second-degree burns should be seen by a doctor. These are very painful and typically produce blisters on the skin. It is possible to treat the burn yourself by soaking the burn area in cool water for at least 15 minutes. If the burn area is small, put a cool, wet cloth on it for a few minutes every day followed by a doctor-prescribed antibiotic ointment. Dress the burn with a dry, non-stick dressing, and check every day for infection. Don’t pop the blisters. A second-degree burn should heal in two to three weeks.

Third-degree burns

Third-degree burns should be seen immediately by a doctor. Don’t take off any clothing stuck to the burn. Don’t apply ointment or soak the burn in water. Third-degree burns cause damage to all layers of the skin, and the burn area will appear white or charred. These burns may cause little or no pain due to nerve damage and take a long time to heal.

Blistering

For mild blistering, cool the affected area. For areas that are likely to rub against clothing or other parts of the body, apply petroleum jelly after cooling to reduce friction or cover the area with a band-aid to prevent further irritation. Don’t try to pop the blister as this can lead to infection. The water inside the blister helps the skin underneath to heal

Nosebleeds

Don’t believe the old wives’ tale that a child with a nosebleed should place his head between his knees or tip his head back.  These actions will not stop the bleeding. Tilting the head back can be especially bad for your child because the blood could be breathed into the lungs or even get into the stomach, causing children to cough or vomit blood as an aftereffect of the nosebleed.

Instead, press the fleshy part of the nose down firmly for 10 minutes until you completely control the bleeding. If a nosebleed lasts for mor than 15 minutes, occurs following a serious injury or is accompanied by severe blood loss, visit your doctor or the Emergency Room.

Embedded foreign objects

Objects such as thorns or wood slivers can get embedded in the skin. Only remove an embedded object if it is small, visible, and near the surface. If you do remove the embedded object, wash your child’s wound thoroughly with soap and water. Then dry and bandage it. A puncture wound, especially from a rusty nail, may require a tetanus shot if your child has not had one in the last five years. Incidentally, the embedded object may help block bleeding; this means that removing the object may do more harm than good. When in doubt, see your doctor.

Heat and sunburn

Playing outside on a hot day can lead to sunburn, dehydration, and heat exhaustion because children’s natural cooling mechanisms are not as efficient as those of adults. Apply sunscreen and keep children in cool clothes or in the shade. Ensure that they sit down, rest, and regularly drink plenty of liquids. If heat exhaustion is severe, medical assistance may be required.

Sprains, strains, dislocations, and bruises

Treat all of the above by following “RICER”:

• R – Rest the injured part to prevent internal bleeding and swelling.
• I – Ice the injury to limit inflammation and reduce pain. Wrap ice in a damp cloth, and ice the injury for no more than 10 minutes at a time for toddlers and small children. Do not apply ice directly to the skin.
• C – Compress the area with a compression bandage to limit swelling.
• E – Elevate the injured part above heart level to reduce blood flow to the area.
• R – Referral. See a doctor to rule out any complications, such as a fracture.

Prickly heat

Prickly heat is an irritating, itchy rash that occurs on the skin in hot weather. It develops when sweat glands are blocked, particularly where sweat is trapped and cannot evaporate. Your child’s skin may feel as if it were burning. His/her skin may have a rash made up of tiny red spots that disappear when pressed. Keep your child from suffering prickly heat by moving into a cool environment. Then cool the affected skin area by sponging with cold water.

Water danger

Constant supervision is a must when kids are near swimming pools and the ocean. Keep small kids within reach. It only takes a few centimeters of water to cover the nose and mouth area, causing a child to drown! Small children lose their orientation when they fall into the water face down. Their ability to stand or lift their heads are not fully developed. Training your child to swim at an early age is a good preventive measure.

In the event of a near drowning, immediate resuscitation is essential to survival. However, you should only attempt a rescue when it is within your capabilities. Throw in a rope, flotation device, or something buoyant with you if you must go into the water. And always seek medical attention for your child after a near drowning.

The Essential Children’s First-aid Kit

8 items you should always have in your kit for spring:

• bandages
• gauze pads
• cleaning or antiseptic pads
• hand sanitizer
• antibiotic cream
• sunscreen lotion
• fever medication
• oral re-hydration salts