How To Treat Common Injuries For Kids

If you've got little ones running around, you know that they can get into all sorts of mischief. Unfortunately, this sometimes leaves them with injuries. While you may want to be better safe than sorry, when it comes to small scrapes or bruises, you don't need to take them to the emergency room or GP to get them sorted. If you have Pupil Protector cover you can also use our Second Opinon service to get access to a specialist for an accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Instead, it is a good idea to know how to treat common injuries that kids get so you can deal with them there and then. This will provide comfort, ease pain and avoid unnecessary medical intervention.

Here are some of the most common injuries your little ones are likely to get and how you can treat them quickly, easily and effectively:

Bruises

When it comes to children's injuries, the chances are bruises will be dealt with the most. They are also the easiest to treat.

Simply hold ice or a cold pack to the bruise for 20 minutes at a time over the first 24 to 48 hours. If the bruise is very painful, large or has appeared out of the blue, you should take your child to see a doctor.

Cuts and scrapes

Cuts and scrapes often accompany bruises and are just as easy to deal with.

Small cuts should be washed thoroughly with soap and water to remove any grit or dirt and patted dry before applying a plaster or bandage.

However, you should avoid using soap on scrapes as this can cause irritation. Instead, you should wash thoroughly with water for five minutes.

If a cut is large, apply pressure for five minutes to stop the bleeding before repeating the above steps. If the bleeding doesn't stop, you should seek medical help.  

Bites and stings

If your little one suffers an animal bite, it is important that you clean it thoroughly as quickly as possible. This should be done with soap and water before patting the wound dry and putting a plaster or bandage on it.

If the bite is from a wild animal or is quite deep, you should take your child to the doctor immediately.

For insect stings, you should use ice or frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel to cool skin and reduce the stinging. Baking soda mixed into a paste with water will also help to ease the pain.

If the stinger is still in the skin - such as with a bee sting - you should be careful to scrape it out rather than pulling it out.

You shouldn't need medical attention unless the sting causes a reaction, such as rapid swelling or breathing problems, in which case you should seek immediate medical attention.

Burns and scalds

Burns that present only as redness with no blisters can be treated by being cooled under running water for around 15 minutes. This will ease the pain and reduce swelling. You may also want to apply an antibiotic ointment to aid in the healing.

You can also get burn sprays, which will cool the injury down and are good for travelling.

If your child has a burn that has resulted in blisters over a large area, you should take them to see a doctor. Keep it cool until you get medical help by wrapping ice or a bag of peas in a tea towel and holding it to the burn.

Splinters

For splinters, you should use tweezers to remove it as quickly as possible to avoid your little one rubbing it, which can force the splinter deeper into the skin. Once it is completely removed, clean the area with soap and water.

If the splinter is deep or large, you may need to see a doctor.

Head injuries

While your little one might bounce back after hitting their head, you should keep an eye on them to ensure they haven't got evidence of a concussion.

This means looking out for blood or fluid in the ears, dizziness or headaches, repeated vomiting, continued unconsciousness and unequal pupils. If your child experiences any of these, you should get them to a doctor straight away.

If you are happy that they do not have any of these symptoms, it is fine for them to go to sleep, although you should wake them every hour during the first four hours of sleep to ensure they are alert.

If they are knocked unconscious after hitting their head or fall unconscious shortly afterwards, you should go to the emergency room or call an ambulance.

Learn more: AIG Accident & Health Policies, policies that look after you and the people closest to you.