Children are unpredictable and care givers are not perfect. It is possible that despite your best efforts to child proof your home, an accident may occur. Do not wait for a child to accidentally ingest children's cough syrup or for a massive snow storm to shut you in with five kids for a night. Think ahead and plan for emergencies so when crisis occurs you are prepared.
Five Common Emergencies to be prepared for at a daycare
1. Child Choking
When you see a child choking the first thing you do is listen. Are they coughing or not? If they are coughing then air is getting through and that is good. Open their mouth to see if you can see the object and scoop with your finger in their mouth side to side to see if you can pick anything out. If you don't see anything or you can't remove what you see then pat strongly on the child's lower back in an upright slant. This may force the object up. If that fails, call 911 immediately. They will guide you through the next steps to perform the Hymlick manuvre on a child.
2. Severe Weather
Depending on where you live your weather threats will be different. Check with your local online weather source to find the most frequent severe weather threats for your region. Then prepare an emergency plan and kit appropriate for those emergencies. All homes should have a 72-hour emergency kit regardless of where you live that includes non-perishable food, water, and basic supplies to get you through 3 days. Talk with your parents about your plan.
3. Ingest something
When you turn your eye for a moment a child may drink something they should not have. Prevention is key here. Keep your "yucky stuff" (ie cleaners, bleaches etc) out of the children's area and/or locked in a cupboard. Also, emphasize to parents how important it is to notify you of any medicine sent with the child that day. Prescriptions and medicines should all be kept out of reach of children. If an accident occurs, keep the container and call your poison control number listed at the front of your phone book. You could also call the local hospital for advice.
4. Break a Bone
Look to see if if the foot or hand at the end of the injured extremity is cold or blue. If so, call 911 immediately. Next call the parent. While you are waiting for an ambulance or the parent there are a few things you can do to help the child. 1) Do NOT straighten the limb if it is deformed - keep the child still. 2) Stabilize the wounded area by using padding to keep it immobile. 3) Put ice on the injury but not directly on the skin - put it in a bag or wrap ice in a towel. After holding ice on the injury for about 20 minutes, take it off for 20 minutes. 4) Elevate the extremity to reduce swelling.
5. Allergic Reaction
Calm and reassure the child as anxiety can worsen symptoms. Try to identify the allergen and have the person avoid further contact with it. If the allergic reaction is from a honey bee sting, scrape the stinger off the skin with something firm (such as a fingernail or plastic credit card). Do not use tweezers; squeezing the stinger will release more venom. Apply calamine lotion if a rash develops. Watch for further signs and seek medical help if needed.
For a Severe Allergic Reaction (anaphylaxis)
Check the person's airway, breathing and circulation (the ABC's of Basic Life Support). A warning sign for dangerous throat swelling is a very hoarse or whispered voice, or coarse sounds when the person is breathing air in. If the victim is having difficulty breathing, is very weak, or is losing consciousness, call for emergency medical assistance. If necessary, begin rescue breathing and CPR.
Have you been trained in a first aid course or updated your training this year?
Courses are offered through St. John's Ambulance and other community agencies. Look in your phone book for information and if you have not been trained it is a good idea to take a basic first aid course so you will have the skills and confidence needed to deal with any emergency that may come your way.
Rachel Perry Pellegrini is a certified elementary school teacher. She has been running a home daycare for the past year and writes about her experiences with the intention of helping other mothers overcome obstacles in their own home business. She has a background in Journalism-Print. Her daycare website is [daystardaycare.com] and her blog can be found at thesimpleself-improvementproject.blogspot.com thesimpleself-improvementproject.blogspot.com
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