Children’s Health & Safety E1: Examine issues related to the health & safety of children

Children’s Safety Treating Illness CPR/First Aid Safety Signs/Preventing Accidents

Safety A parent or care givers main responsibility is to keep children safe. They must protect children from hazards. They must be prepared for emergencies. Most parents and caregivers should know CPR & First Aid.

What should you do if an accident occurs? Stay calm: this will help reassure the child Evaluate the situation: determine if the situation is minor or serious Provide Comfort: do not move the child, keep the child warm, give words of comfort Call for Help: dial 911 Give First Aid: treat the injury

Types of Injuries Bleeding Bumps & Bruises Fractures & Sprains Splinters & Thorns Burns Choking Seizure (convulsions) Animal or Human Bites Insect Bites/Stings Poisoning Shock

Types of Burns First Degree- mild, may turn skin pink or red. There are no blisters. Never apply ointment Second Degree- red & forms blisters. Cover with wet cloth or blanket Third Degree- may leave skin white or blackened. Get medical attention immediately Chemical- wash with cool water. Remove clothing. Electrical Burns- appear minor but usually deep. Cool with water, cover, elevate legs to prevent shock

How to Treat Minor Cuts & Scrapes Stop bleeding by applying pressure Clean the area with mild soap & water Dry area Apply ointment Cover the wound

How to Treat Nosebleeds Have the child sit or stand and lean forward Squeeze the lower half of the nose (10 min.) Check for clotting Call for medical attention

How to Treat Splinters & Thorns Splinter- tiny object that becomes imbedded in the skin If the splinter is sticking out of the skin, use sterilized tweezers and pull it out. Apply ointment & band aid If the splinter is under the skin, open the womb & pull it out.

How to Treat Choking Choking occurs when someone's air way is blocked. Provide abdominal thrusts.

Preventing Choking Make sure that the child does not have access to small toys or toys with removable pieces Constantly supervise children constantly Cut up all food into small pieces

How to Treat Fractures & Sprains Fracture- break or crack in a bone Sprain- sudden violent stretching or a joint or muscle Never move the child, get medical attention If it is minor,; elevate, apply cold pack, & get medical attention.

Convulsions Also know as a seizure. Muscles suddenly contract The individual will fall, twitch, & jerk Usually last less than 5 min. Loosen tight clothing, never move, do not put anything in the mouth, turn on side if there is vomit

Animal/Human Bites If the skin is not broken, wash area, and apply antibiotic ointment If the bite is more serious and by an animal call local health department The bite must be treated by a medical professional to prevent the spread of disease.

Insect Bites Remove stinger by scraping it with blunt edge object Wash the area with soap Apply cold pack If the individual is allergic to bees then they must get medical attention immediately (anaphylactic shock) Some insect bites itch. To prevent itching use witch hazel, alcohol, or a paste of baking soda, water, and calamine

Poisoning Ingesting harmful substances Signs of poisoning- burns around the mouth, strange smelling breath, fever, rash, coughing, or difficultly breathing. If you suspect a child has ingested something poisonous call poison control. Phone number for poison control: 1-800-222-1222 Poison control is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Common Household Poisons Medicines Cleaning Products Personal Care Products Insecticides and fertilizers Plants (English ivy, poison ivy /oak, berries, wild mushrooms, plant bulbs)

Shock When an individual has an injury, they lose a lot of blood or they are badly burned or poisoned. Shock is when the body functions such as breathing and heartbeat stop or weakening greatly. Symptoms of shock: cool or clammy skin, weak pulse, shallow breathing, dilated pupils, and unconsciousness

CPR Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation- used only when the heart has stopped beating and they have stopped breathing. The technique combines rescue breathing with chest compressions to restore the blood circulation, heart beat and breathing. Only individuals that have received proper training should perform CPR

First Aid Providing general treatment for injuries. There are various guidelines that must be used when treating basic injuries.

Rescue Breathing Breathing for someone else when they are unable to breath for themselves. Forcing air into the lungs of a person who is not breathing Lack of oxygen more than five min. will result in brain damage.

Preventing Accidents Remove all broken toys and objects from the environment. Be sure play area has been sprayed for insects. Remove all limbs and debris from play area Always pay close attention to children always. Maintain a close viewing space Create rules for the environment and enforce them.

Safety Signs Introduce and explain the meaning of common safety signs in a child's environment. See Safety Sign Poster

Children’s Health Common Illnesses Immunization

Regular Health Care Regular health checkups are important. Possible health problems can be detected early and treated early. After the first year, children should get a check up once a year.

Children’s Check Up Schedule 2 weeks old 1 month old 2 months old 4 months old 6 months old 9 months old 12 months old 15 months old 18 months old 2-3 years old

Common Childhood Conditions Asthma- causes the lungs to contract to more frequently Allergies- extreme sensitivity to a substance Ear Infections-fever and fluid in the ear Chicken Pox- red itchy rash, fever, sores Common Cold- stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, sore throat Flu-tired, shakes, fever, aching muscles Strep Throat-white patches on the tonsils, painful swallowing, sore throat

Immunizations Protection against communicable diseases. Communicable Disease- disease that is passed from one person to another Individual are immunized by giving a small amount of the disease called a vaccine.