Information every parent should know about burns, fire, choking and head injuries

First Aid tips for babies and children.

BURNS AND SCALDS
Burns are injuries produced by dry heat, whereas scalds are produced by hot liquids. Treatment is the same for both.

* Each year about 20,000 children end up in casualty departments with burns. * Every year 100 children die from severe burns.

* Deaths from burns are decreasing, due to less open fires, improved fire guards, and flame resistant nightdresses.

* 70% of burns occur in children under 5 years of age.

* Hands and fingers are most frequently burned, followed by face.

EMERGENCY TREATMENT OF BURNS OR SCALDS.
With all burns or scalds SPEED of treatment is the most important factor. The sooner you react and DO THE RIGHT THING the better chance your child has of avoiding serious damage and possible scarring.

1. Put the burn under COLD WATER AT ONCE. Keep the cold water running for at least 10 minutes. In extensive burns plunge the child under a cool shower or into a cool bath. You have to make that hot skin COLD .... RAPIDLY.
2. DON'T use butter or oils on a burn, they don't cool it enough and they are difficult to clean from the burn afterwards.
3. DON'T prick any blisters, you may introduce infection.
4. Cover the burn with a clean handkerchief or pillow case, soaked in cold water, or 'cling film' and get the child to hospital IMMEDIATELY.
5. Paracetamol will relieve the pain, as will raising the affected part.

FIRE, FLAMES and BURNS
If your child's clothing has caught fire:

* Stop him running around in a panic this will fan the flames and make matters worse.
* Throw him or force him to the ground, so that he is flat. This stops the flames rising up to his upper body and face.
* Throw water over the flames,(but not if your child is still connected to an electric appliance) or smother the flames in towels, coats, curtains or whatever you can get your hands on.
* Treat any burns as directed above.
* Call the Ambulance on 999.

CHOKING
Although choking is a rare occurence, every parent should know how to deal with this emergency in three categories of children:

* babies.
* small children.
* older children.

The principles are simple and similar for all age groups. If you don't get it right first time, you won't get a second chance. It's a dire emergency that can kill YOU could save the child's life!

Children are more at risk of choking, because the're always putting things into the mouths, and with food they may not chew it adequately. Fortunately, these situations don't happen very often, but if they do they are absolute EMERGENCIES, as anything inhaled into the windpipe can totally block the airways and halt breathing.

Signs of choking
* The child may have a coughing fit.
* The child grasps at his throat.
* He fights for his breath, making croaking noises.
* His face turns blue.

What to do.
ACT IMMEDIATELY.


Babies:
1. Quickly lay baby face down on your forearm, with his head lower than his bottom.
2. Give him several hard slaps between the shoulder blades.
3. As the object is dislodged, get it immediately out of his mouth, taking care not to push it back into the throat.

Small children:
1. Quickly lay the child face down, over your lap, with his head lower than his bottom.
2. Give him several hard slaps, between the shoulder blades on the upper part of his back.
3. Once the object is dislodged, get it out of his mouth immediately, taking care not to push it back down his throat.

Older children:
1. With the child standing, get behind him and put your arms around his waist.
2. Put one fist under his ribs in the midline. Place the other hand over the fist and thrust in and upwards very firmly.
3. Repeat until the object is dislodged, then get him to spit it out.
This technique is called the Heimlich manoeuvre and can also be used with adults.

WHILST PERFORMING ANY OF THESE ACTIONS GET SOMEONE ELSE TO IMMEDIATELY DIAL 999 FOR AN EMERGENCY AMBULANCE.

This is done so that expert help may be available quickly if you are not successful, at dislodging the choking object.

Head Injury.
Children are always falling and banging themselves, thankfully most bangs to the head are harmless events.

However, there are times when a bang to the head may be more serious and then you need to know what to do. Any of the following symptoms occuring in a child who has had a bang to the head, need urgent medical attention:

An unconscious child.
Vomiting. Drowsiness.
Persistent headache.
Blurred or double vision.
Bleeding from the nose or ear.
Pale yellow fluid from the nose or ear.

Even if some of these symptoms happen 12 to 24 hours after a head injury, you must still get medical attention for the child.

If your child has an open wound that is bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound itself, with a handkerchief or clean pad until medical help arrives.

An unconscious child MUST be put into the 'recovery position', until help arrives.
IMPORTANT NOTICE : This content is from the Dr Chris Steele personal archive and is provided for convenience only. Information contained here may no longer agree with the most up to date medical advice. Please check with a medical professional before taking any action.

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