Families For Life | First aid for common child injuries

As parents, ensuring the safety of our children is our number one priority. As your children grow up and become more curious about the world, it helps to have basic first aid knowledge when your child gets the occasional accident or injury. Fret not; save this article as your all-in-one guide for common injuries and how to treat them!

Preparing a first-aid kit

A well-stocked first-aid kit within reach is necessary in every home, and it is especially handy when your little ones get hurt. A basic first aid kit should be well-stocked with essentials like:

  • Plasters

  • Sterile dressings or gauze

  • Bandages

  • Antiseptic cream/solution

  • Alcohol swabs

  • Safety pins

  • Scissors and tweezers

You may also consider keeping appropriate medicines on hand for your little one’s ailments, like allergies. Some examples include:

  • Hot/cold packs

  • Medicated oil

  • Paracetamol for fevers and pain

  • Activated charcoal for diarrhoea

  • Calamine lotion for insect bites

  • Antihistamine tablets for allergic reactions

How to care for cuts and scrapes

While minor cuts and scrapes can heal on their own, treating them properly prevents the risk of infection and aids faster healing. Here’s what to do:

  1. Stop the bleeding by pressing over the wound with tissues or a clean cloth.

  2. Gently clean the affected area with clean water and mild soap.

  3. Apply antiseptic ointment around the cut.

  4. Cover it with gauze or a bandage.

How to care for bruises

Bruises form under the skin and they appear blue-black on the skin. Here’s what to do when a bruise forms:

  1. Apply a cold compress (e.g: ice wrapped in cloth) to the affected area to reduce swelling.

  2. Leave it in place for 20 minutes.

  3. Repeat several times for a day or two after the injury until swelling stops and the affected area loses its blue-black colour.

How to care for burns

Minor burns and scalds can usually heal without treatment, but the injury can get worse if you do not give proper care. Here’s what to do when your child scalds himself:

  1. Immediately remove any piece of clothing from the burnt area. Do not pull or force off any clothing stuck to the skin.

  2. Run cool water over the burnt area as soon as possible for 20 minutes until the pain subsides. Do not use ice.

  3. Take off any clothing or accessories that are not adhered to the burn to avoid additional harm to the skin.

  4. Loosely cover the burn with a sterile gauze bandage.

How to care for falls

Falls are a natural part of your child's development as they learn to walk and run. If your child takes a fall harder than they can handle, here’s what to do:

  1. Comfort your child first.

  2. Assess for any injuries. Ask them if they feel dizzy, nauseous, or hurt.

  3. Place a cold compress or ice pack on any bumps or bruises.

  4. Let your child rest as needed.

How to care for sprains

Sprains involve a stretch or a partial tear of ligaments. If your child has a sprain, protect the joint from further harm using the P.R.I.C.E method:

  1. Protect the injured area.

  2. Rest.

  3. Ice the area by placing an ice pack (wrap a bag of ice in a towel) on the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes.

  4. Compress the injured area with an elastic bandage until the swelling stops.

  5. Elevate the injured area by raising it above the level of your heart, especially at night.

How to care for nosebleeds

If your child had a bad fall or hit his face against something hard, he might get a nosebleed, too. Here’s what to do:

  1. Have your child lean their head forward slightly to prevent swallowing blood.

  2. Pinch their nostrils together just below the bony part for about 10 minutes, until the bleeding stops.

  3. Encourage your child to breathe through their mouth.

  4. If the bleeding does not stop, use vasoconstrictor nose drops or petroleum jelly on a piece of gauze and insert it into the nostril. Squeeze your child’s nose again for 10 minutes and leave the gauze in for another 10 minutes before removing it.

What to do if your child is choking

When your child swallows a foreign object, it can be alarming, particularly if there's a risk of choking. In such an event, stay calm, assess the situation and do the following:

Immediately call 995 if your child is:

  • Unconscious

  • Turning blue in the face

  • Wheezing or gasping for air

  • Not able to cry, talk or make noise

  • While waiting for 995, perform CPR

For children below 1 years old who is conscious but not breathing:

  1. Hold the child’s face down on your forearm, supported by your thigh.

  2. Keep the child’s torso higher than the head/

  3. Use the heel of your free hand to thump the child in between the shoulder blades up to five times.

  4. If the object is not out yet, put two or three fingers in the center of the child’s breastbone and push quickly up to five times.

  5. Repeat the back thumping and chest pushes until the object comes out or the child loses consciousness.

For children above 1 years old who is conscious but not breathing:

  1. Stand behind the child and wrap your arms around his waist.

  2. Place a fist just above the child’s belly button.

  3. Hold the fist with your free hand and quickly push in and upwards.

  4. Repeat until the object comes out.

How to care for allergic reactions

As kids explore, you may not know that they are allergic to anything until it happens. Allergic reactions in children can look like:

  • itchy and slightly swollen skin

  • stuffy, runny nose or sneezing

  • itchy, watery eyes

  • red bumps anywhere on the body

If your child comes in contact with something they are allergic to, here’s what to do:

  1. Administer allergy medicine by mouth like antihistamines or cetirizine (Zyrtec), or medicine prescribed by your child’s doctor.

  2. Leave the area where the allergic reaction occurred immediately.

  3. Visit your child’s doctor for advice and an allergy plan, if possible.

Numbers to know in a medical emergency

While these first aid techniques can be helpful in minor situations, immediately seek medical attention or a professional for more serious injuries or when in doubt. In Singapore, these are Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) emergency numbers you should memorise:

  • 995

This is SCDF’s Emergency Medical Services hotline for life-threatening emergencies like cardiac arrest, seizures, breathlessness, loss of consciousness, and excessive bleeding.

  • 1777

For non-emergencies that still require medical attention like toothaches, diarrhoea, coughs, headaches, burns or scalds, constipation, or check-ups.

  • Your child’s clinic or doctor

When in doubt, your pediatrician is your best resource for care and reassurance when it comes to your child. It’s helpful when it comes to allergies or when you need to set an appointment for injuries.

Stay calm, stay ready

Exploring the world is how children learn and grow, and the occasional bump and scrape are just part of the journey. By responding to injuries calmly and confidently, we help our children feel safe as they navigate the world with courage, curiosity, and trust.