In Case of Emergency

By Kristin Bailey Murphy

No matter how protective you are as a parent, kids are just natural-born accident magnets. They commonly scrape knees, bump heads, and bust lips in their endless pursuit of exploration and fun. In fact, according to the National Safe Kids Campaign, one out of four children per year sustain an injury serious enough to require medical attention. As much as you'd like to protect them from such incidents, that's virtually impossible. The best you can do is to be well prepared when an accident does arise. Here are some common emergencies and how to react:

Emergency: Your kids are running barefoot in the backyard when one of them cuts her foot on a sharp rock.

What to do: "The first thing you should do is clean the cut and stop the bleeding," says Richard E. Miller, MD, a pediatrician at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. Wash it thoroughly with soap and water, and then apply firm pressure to the cut using gauze or a clean washcloth. "If the cut is superficial, apply an antiseptic ointment and close the wound with a butterfly Band-Aid. But if it's a deep, open wound that won't stop bleeding, or if any tissue or muscle is exposed, go to the emergency room for stitches."

Being prepared: Always make sure that kids wear shoes when playing outside. And keep Band-Aids, gauze, and antiseptic ointment on hand at all times.

Emergency:  Your daughter's enjoying a play date when she suddenly breaks out into purple, itchy hives.

What to do:  "When my daughter, Charlotte, got hives at her friend's house after drinking soy milk for the first time, I panicked," says Kerry Gallagher of Newport, Rhode Island. "I freaked out and called her doctor." The pediatrician told her to give Charlotte Children's Benadryl Allergy Liquid. She was also instructed to call 911 if she observed any breathing problems or swelling.

Being prepared: Stock Children's Benadryl Allergy Liquid in your medicine cabinet and in your diaper bag just in case.

Emergency:  Your energetic son just knocked his tooth out on the bedpost while jumping on the bed.

What to do:  To stop the bleeding, firmly apply a piece of wet gauze to the gums until the bleeding stops. If he lost a baby tooth, there's no need for concern. A permanent tooth will eventually grow in its place. But you should visit a dentist regardless just to make sure none of his underlying teeth were damaged. If the tooth he lost was a permanent one, time is of the essence. The faster you act, the higher your odds of saving the tooth. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists recommends holding the tooth by its crown and reinserting into the socket, pressing it firmly in place with clean gauze.
(If that's not possible, place the tooth in a cup of milk, which will preserve the tooth's roots.) Then visit a pediatric dentist immediately.

Being prepared: Keep a pediatric dentist's number on your refrigerator and in your cell phone.

Emergency:  You're making breakfast when your toddler walks over to show you his new toy: an open bottle of prescription pills.

What to do:  Any time a child has potentially swallowed a hazardous substance, call your local Poison Control Center immediately. (But if he has collapsed or isn't breathing, call 911 first.) When Margaret Hayes' one-year-old son got into a bottle of anti-inflammatory medicine, she dialed Poison Control. "They asked me what kind of pills he had swallowed, and then told me to count how many pills were left in the bottle," she recalls. "The operator told me that if my son had swallowed this particular kind of capsule, he would start vomiting within the next two hours. At the first sign of vomiting, I was instructed to take him to the emergency room to have his stomach pumped." But each case is unique, as treatment varies greatly depending on what hazardous substance your child has ingested. Never take a "wait-and-see" attitude when it comes to poison emergencies. Seek immediate treatment.

Being prepared: Poison-proof your home by storing all medication in childproof containers and keep out of children's reach.

Kristin Bailey Murphy is a freelance writer in Los Angeles, California. She has two small children. 

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