First Aid for Children's Minor Injuries, Bites and Stings

Protecting our children is a natural, built-in instinct for parents. We want to keep them away from any and every thing that may cause them pain or suffering.
This is much easier done when they're babies, but once they reach the toddler stage and beyond, it is impossible to keep them completely protected.

Especially when children play outdoors, they're subject to many elements of possible injuries. Minor cuts and scrapes as well as bee stings and bug bites are
almost a daily part of an active child's life.

Unless your child has allergic reactions, fortunately most bee stings and bug bites are minor and easily cared for. A little first aid and a lot of love will
have your child out and playing again in no time.

Almost all bites and stings will cause some redness, you may see some swelling and the area will probably be a little itchy. These symptoms can last from a few hours to several days.

If the stinger is still present, resist the urge to pull it out with your fingers or tweezers. Squeezing the stinger could inject more venom into the skin, just a
credit card or a dull blade to gently scrape the stinger out.

Thoroughly wash the area with soap and water and pat it dry. Applying a cold compress will relieve some of the pain, over the counter medications such as a
calamine lotion or creams containing topical steroids or antihistamines can aide in the itching. Aloe vera gel can relieve inflammation and a children's pain
reliever can be administered if need.

If your child is allergic to any type of insect bite, their safety is a more serious matter. The symptoms can range from trouble breathing, vomiting,
fainting, rapid heart rate and even shock. These instances can be life threatening and require immediate professional care.

If you suspect your child is allergic, ask your pediatrician about a epinephrine auto injector. For a child with these types of allergies a epipen will be the most
important part of your first aid kit.

All children love to run and play, so minor cuts and scraped knees are inevitable. The first concern is to stop the bleeding, minor injuries normally
only bleed for a few minutes. Wash your hands and the area with soap and water and apply pressure to stop the blood flow.

Your first aid kit should contain a antibacterial medication, quick treatment will greatly decrease the chances of infection. Once you've got the bleeding
stopped, apply antibacterial cream and cover with a bandage. Make sure to change the bandage periodically and reapply a little more cream.

We're not able to be with our children on a constant basis, for your child's safety make sure that child care providers, your child's school or any friends or
relatives they may occasionally stay with know exactly what to do in case of a real emergency. Make sure that anyone keeping your child has a number to reach
you or your pediatrician.

We can't keep our children free from minor injuries, but with a well stocked first aid kit and quick treatment, we can keep them from becoming a more serious
matter.