Health, first aid and wellbeing

Children's Health & First Aid: What Every Parent Should Know
Parent Education Guide | From Infancy Through Childhood
Every parent should know how to recognize a medical emergency, provide basic first aid, prevent common injuries, and care for a sick child.

1. Recognizing a medical emergency

Call 911 immediately if your child:
- Is unconscious, unresponsive, or not breathing normally.
- Has severe difficulty breathing, blue lips, or cannot speak or cry because of breathing problems.
- Has a seizure lasting longer than five minutes, or repeated seizures without recovery.
- Has severe bleeding that does not stop with firm direct pressure.
- Has a severe allergic reaction involving breathing difficulties, throat swelling, or collapse.
- Has been rescued from water and is unresponsive or having difficulty breathing.
Seek urgent medical care for fever in an infant younger than three months (100.4°F / 38°C or higher), significant dehydration, unusual drowsiness, or worsening symptoms.
Important: Trust your observations. A child who is unusually difficult to wake, confused, or behaving very differently from normal needs prompt assessment.

2. CPR: A skill that can save a child's life
CPR helps maintain blood flow when a child's heart stops beating effectively.
If a child is unresponsive and not breathing normally:
1. Check that the surroundings are safe.
2. Shout for help, call 911, and follow the dispatcher's instructions.
3. Begin chest compressions on a firm surface.
4. Compress at a rate of 100–120 per minute, allowing the chest to recoil completely.
5. For a child, compress approximately one-third of chest depth (about 2 inches). For an infant, approximately 1.5 inches.
6. Give rescue breaths if trained and able. Otherwise, continue compressions as directed.
7. Use an AED as soon as available, following its prompts.
For trained rescuers, conventional pediatric CPR generally uses 30 compressions followed by two breaths when there is one rescuer.
Parent takeaway: Every parent and caregiver should complete hands-on infant and child CPR training. Children's CPR techniques differ by age.

3. Choking: Know what to do immediately
Choking can occur when food or a small object blocks a child's airway.
Signs of severe choking:
- Unable to breathe, speak, or cry effectively.
- Weak or absent cough.
- Blue or gray skin or lips.
- Clutching the throat or appearing panicked.
For infants younger than one year: Give five back blows, followed by five chest thrusts. Repeat until the obstruction clears or the infant becomes unresponsive.
For children one year and older: Give five back blows, followed by five abdominal thrusts. Repeat as needed.
If the child becomes unresponsive, begin CPR and follow emergency dispatcher instructions.
Never perform blind finger sweeps. Remove an object from the mouth only if it is clearly visible and can be safely retrieved.
Preventing choking
Cut grapes and similar round foods lengthwise into small pieces. Avoid whole nuts, popcorn, hard candies, and other choking hazards in young children. Supervise meals and encourage children to sit while eating.

4. Fever: When should parents worry?
Fever is usually a sign that the body is fighting an infection. The child's overall appearance and behavior are often more important than the temperature alone.
Situation What parents should do
Younger than 3 months, fever ≥100.4°F (38°C) Seek immediate medical evaluation
3–6 months, fever ≥102°F (38.9°C) Contact a healthcare professional promptly
Older child, fever but alert, drinking, and comfortable Monitor, encourage fluids, and provide comfort
Fever with stiff neck, confusion, difficulty breathing, or a non-blanching rash Seek emergency care
Fever lasting more than 3 days Contact the pediatrician
Fever medication safety: Acetaminophen and ibuprofen should be dosed according to the child's weight. Do not give ibuprofen to infants younger than six months without medical guidance. Avoid aspirin in children.
Never use rubbing alcohol or ice baths to lower a fever.

5. Dehydration: Recognize the warning signs
Children can become dehydrated quickly, particularly with vomiting, diarrhea, or fever.
Signs include dry mouth, fewer wet diapers or less urination, fewer tears, sunken eyes, and unusual tiredness.
For mild dehydration, offer frequent small amounts of an oral rehydration solution. Continue breastfeeding or formula feeding for infants.
Seek urgent care if a child cannot keep fluids down, has significantly reduced urination, becomes unusually sleepy, or shows signs of severe dehydration.

6. First aid for common injuries
Cuts and bleeding
Apply firm direct pressure with a clean cloth or gauze. Rinse minor wounds under running water and cover with a clean dressing. Seek medical care for deep wounds, gaping cuts, or bleeding that persists.
Burns
Cool the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes. Remove nearby jewelry or loose clothing, but do not pull off anything stuck to the burn. Cover loosely with a clean nonstick dressing. Do not apply ice, butter, or toothpaste.
Head injuries
Apply a wrapped cold compress to a minor bump and observe the child. Seek emergency care for loss of consciousness, seizures, repeated vomiting, confusion, or increasing drowsiness.
Sprains and possible fractures
Stop the activity, support the injured area, and use a wrapped cold pack for short periods. Do not try to straighten a deformed limb. Seek medical evaluation if the child cannot bear weight, has significant swelling, or has a possible fracture.

7. Allergic reactions and anaphylaxis
Allergic reactions can occur after foods, medications, or insect stings.
Mild reactions may cause itching or localized hives. Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening emergency.
Warning signs include throat tightness, breathing difficulties, repetitive vomiting after an allergen exposure, fainting, or sudden weakness.
What to do:
1. Administer prescribed epinephrine immediately into the outer thigh if anaphylaxis is suspected.
2. Call 911.
3. Keep the child lying down unless breathing difficulties require a more comfortable position.
4. Give a second dose of epinephrine after five minutes if symptoms persist and another device is available, according to the child's emergency plan.
5. Ensure emergency medical evaluation, even if symptoms improve.
Antihistamines do not replace epinephrine in anaphylaxis.

8. Poisoning and medication safety
Many childhood poisonings involve medications, cleaning products, cosmetics, or household chemicals.
Keep these products in original containers, locked and out of children's reach. Pay special attention to button batteries, magnets, and adult medications.
If poisoning is suspected, do not induce vomiting or give home remedies.
United States Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
Free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.
If a child collapses, has a seizure, or cannot breathe normally, call 911 instead.

9. Heat-related illness and hot car emergencies
Young children are especially vulnerable to overheating because their bodies regulate temperature less effectively than adults.
A parked vehicle can heat up rapidly, even when the outside temperature feels moderate. Opening windows slightly does not make it safe.
Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even for a short errand.
Warning signs of heat illness include:
- Unusual weakness, dizziness, or irritability.
- Headache, nausea, or vomiting.
- Hot skin and rapid breathing.
- Confusion, seizures, or loss of consciousness in severe cases.
If heatstroke is suspected, call 911, move the child to a cooler place, remove excess clothing, and begin rapid cooling with cool water while awaiting emergency services. Do not force fluids if the child is confused or not fully alert.
To prevent children being forgotten in vehicles, create a consistent back-seat checking routine, use reminders or occupant-alert systems, and ensure all caregivers have a reliable child drop-off confirmation plan.

10. Drowning prevention and water emergencies
Children can drown in pools, bathtubs, buckets, and other bodies of water. Drowning is often silent.
- Maintain constant, attentive adult supervision around water.
- Keep young children within arm's reach.
- Designate a responsible adult water watcher during gatherings.
- Install four-sided pool fencing with self-closing, self-latching gates.
- Use properly fitted life jackets near open water.
- Enroll children in age-appropriate swimming lessons.
If a child is submerged, remove them from the water only when safe to do so, call 911, and begin CPR with rescue breaths if the child is unresponsive and not breathing normally.
A child who develops persistent coughing, breathing difficulties, or abnormal behavior after submersion needs emergency medical assessment.

11. Respiratory illnesses: Colds, flu, RSV, and asthma
Respiratory infections are common in childhood, but parents should recognize signs of serious illness.
Most uncomplicated colds improve with rest, hydration, and supportive care. Antibiotics do not treat viral infections.
Avoid over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in children younger than four years. Honey may help cough in children older than one year, but never give honey to infants younger than 12 months.
Seek urgent care for rapid breathing, chest retractions, dehydration, or worsening wheezing. Children with asthma should have a written asthma action plan and access to prescribed rescue medication.

12. Preventive health and everyday wellbeing
Protecting children's health also means building habits that reduce future illness.
Nutrition: Provide balanced meals with fruits, vegetables, protein, whole grains, and iron-rich foods. Encourage water and avoid excessive sugary drinks.
Sleep: Children ages 1–2 need approximately 11–14 hours of sleep per day, and children ages 3–5 need 10–13 hours, including naps.
Vaccinations: Follow the recommended childhood immunization schedule and discuss individual medical considerations with the pediatrician.
Dental care: Begin dental visits by age one and brush twice daily using an age-appropriate amount of fluoride toothpaste.
Mental health: Support children through affection, predictable routines, play, emotional validation, and positive discipline. Persistent changes in mood, behavior, or development deserve professional attention.
Parent's first aid kit
Every family should have the following emergency supplies available at home:
- Digital thermometer.
- Adhesive bandages and sterile gauze.
- Medical tape and nonstick dressings.
- Disposable gloves.
- Saline wound rinse.
- Tweezers.
- Instant cold packs.
- Age-appropriate acetaminophen or ibuprofen with dosing instructions.
- Oral rehydration solution.
- Medication measuring syringe.
- Emergency contact list.
- Prescribed epinephrine auto-injector, if needed.

Five messages every parent should remember
1. Learn CPR and choking first aid. These skills can save a child's life before emergency responders arrive.
2. Prevent the preventable. Supervision, safe storage, car seats, and water safety are essential.
3. Recognize warning signs. Difficulty breathing, altered consciousness, severe dehydration, and serious injuries require prompt action.
4. Prepare before emergencies happen. Keep emergency numbers, medical information, and first aid supplies accessible.
5. Promote lifelong wellbeing. Nutrition, sleep, preventive healthcare, and emotional connection all matter.