Life-saving tips
Emergencies happen. It could be a fall from a bike... a sudden high fever or seizure... a pot knocked from the stove. What if your child started choking during dinner? What if she was stung by a bee and suddenly couldn't breathe? Would you know what to do?
Learn tips for preventing injury and keeping kids safe during the summer (
video)
The first moments after an injury or onset of an illness are often the most critical. The key is remaining calm, knowing what to do, and making a decision to act. Take a look at the following list of potential emergencies, and ask yourself if you'd know what to do or not to do to help your child until emergency medical service personnel arrive:
- Loss of consciousness
- Seizure or convulsion
- Choking on food, drink, or object
- Serious fall
- Severe burn
- Firearm wound
- Suffocating
- Difficulty breathing
- Drowning
- Eating or drinking something poisonous
- Heavy bleeding that will not stop
- Injury from a car or bike crash
- High fever
- Diarrhea or vomiting lasting more than 24 hours
If you're like most parents, you would feel comfortable handling some, but not all, of these emergencies. That's why having a written plan is so important. If and when emergencies happen, you'll know who to call, what information you need, where to go, and what to ask.
After reading these pages, talk to your pediatrician or health care provider to decide what's best for your family. Learn what resources are available in your community. Your pediatrician or health care provider can help you customize it to assure your family is well protected.
Writing down important information can help save your child's life
What if you and your child were in a car crash and you couldn't speak? What if your child got sick in day care and you couldn't be reached right away? Emergency medical personnel are going to have questions, and someone has to be able to find answers — fast. That's why it's so important to have information about your children written down, especially if your child has special needs.
Here are some helpful ideas to assist you in creating an emergency plan. After you complete your plan, here's what to do:
- Put your emergency plan on the refrigerator
- Put a copy by every phone in your house
- Give a copy to day-care providers, relatives, and babysitters
- Give a copy to the school nurse
- Give a copy to neighbors, friends, and coworkers
- Put a copy in your purse, glove compartment, and child's backpack
- Send a copy to your local fire/EMS department
The more people who have this information, the better off your child will be in an emergency.