Police: _____________________________________________________________________

Fire: _______________________________________________________________________

Ambulance: _________________________________________________________________

Poison Control: ______________________________________________________________

Pediatrician: ________________________________________________________________

Emergency Contact: __________________________________________________________

When Baby Can't Breathe ~ Chest Thrusts ~ Back Blows ~ If Baby is Unconscious
Rescue Breathing for Choking ~ Drowning ~ Rescue Breathing for Drowning ~ Cuts and Scrapes Nosebleeds ~ Burns ~ Stings and Bites ~ Eye Irritants ~ Head Injuries ~ Splinters

When Baby Can't Breathe:

1) Try to determine whether your child is choking. Does he appear to be struggling, and is he surrounded by any telltale evidence, such as food or small objects? If so, proceed to step 2. On the other hand, if your baby is having difficulty breathing for some other reason (like convulsions or the possibility of infection), call your doctor immediately.
2) Decide whether to intervene. First aid for choking is necessary only if the baby's airway is blocked so completely that the child can't cough (or has a very weak cough) or breathe. Generally a child who is coughing forcefully can clear his own airway quite rapidly. If the coughing persists for several minutes, a piece of food or another object may be stuck quite far down in his airway, and then you should immediately take the baby to a hospital.
If baby can't breathe easily but is conscious, immediately administer back blows (see instructions below) and have someone call an ambulance. If you are alone with baby, proceed straight to back blows, and call for help if easy breathing has not been restored after one minute of resuscitation attempts.

Chest Thrusts :

1) Put your free arm and hand on the infant's back, and turn him on his back, being careful to support his head and neck.
2) With his head positioned lower than his body, administer up to five chest thrusts, using two or three fingers on the breastbone just below the nipple line, sharply depressing the infant's rib cage one-half inch each time. If your baby is still conscious but his chest is not rising with air intake, keep repeating the back blows and chest thrusts until the obstruction is cleared or until help arrives.
If he becomes unconscious, follow instructions in "If Baby is Unconscious."

Back Blows :

1) Position the infant facedown, on top of your outstretched arm and hand. Support baby's head by holding his jaw. Note that his head should be kept lower than his body.
2) Administer up to five firm, sharp back blows between baby's shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. Any obstruction in the airways is often expelled by this maneuver. If not, administer Chest Thrusts.

If Baby is Unconscious:

If there's someone else with you, have that person call for an ambulance while you administer first aid. If you're alone with baby, administer first aid about one minute before pausing to call for an ambulance.
1) Lay baby on his back on a flat surface.
2) Position the airway. Tilt the head back slightly by placing one hand on the crown of the head and the other on his chin. Push up and back.
3) Check the mouth. If you can see an obstructing object and can remove it with your finger, do so. Do not, however, sweep the back of the baby's throat blindly with your finger, as you will likely push the obstruction down further
If he's still unconscious and not breathing, perform rescue breathing:

Rescue Breathing for Choking :

1) With baby lying on his back on a flat surface, reposition and straighten the airway by tilting his head back slightly and raising his chin.
2) With your mouth sealed around his nose and mouth, give him two gentle breaths (puffs) to see whether his chest rises. If it does, you have cleared his airway and he should be breathing on his own.
3) If baby's chest doesn't rise, tilt his head back a bit further , raise his chin a bit higher, and repeat the two rescue breaths.
If that doesn't work, administer back blows and chest thrusts, check his mouth, and perform rescue breathing again, in that order. Repeat these steps until the object is coughed up, rescue breathing is successful, or emergency help arrives. Do not give up: Clearing the airway should become easier as time goes by. Oxygen deprivation can relax the muscles of the airway and therefore help loosen the constriction so air can finally get through to his lungs.

Drowning:

1) Remove the infant from the water as quickly as possible.
2) Place him on his side and clear his mouth of any foreign materials or vomit.
3) If the infant is breathing, lay him on his back on a flat surface. Have someone call for emergency help while you continue first aid. If you are alone, scream for help and then proceed to rescue breathing, below. After one minute, pause and call for an ambulance. Then resume your effort.

Rescue Breathing for Drowning:

1) Tilt baby's head back gently and lift chin forward.
2) Administer two short breaths with your mouth sealed around infant's nose and mouth.
If you are able to get air into baby's lungs, you will see chest rise, and baby should begin breathing on his own.
If baby does not start breathing on his own, continue rescue breathing at a rate of one breath every three seconds. Keep this up until emergency help arrives or until baby begins breathing without assistance.
If you cannot get air into the lungs, reposition the airway, and try rescue breathing again. In the event that the airway remains blocked, follow the instructions for "When Baby Can't Breathe" beginning with back blows.

Cuts and Scrapes:

If a wound is bleeding actively, apply firm pressure with a sterile gauze pad or a clean cloth until the bleeding stops. Then wash the wound with soap and water and apply an antibiotic ointment. Cover with an adhesive-strip bandage or with a gauze pad with adhesive tape.
If bleeding doesn't stop with simple pressure applied for about five minutes, consult your pediatrician. For deep wounds or those where the edges are separated, ask your doctor about the need for sutures or "steri-strips" to close the wound, speed healing, and minimize scarring.

Nosebleeds:

Sit the infant up (he will swallow less blood in this position), and pinch his nostrils closed. Maintain pressure for several minutes, then release to see whether the bleeding has stopped.
If not, continue pinching until the bleeding stops.
At bedtime apply a small amount of petroleum jelly on a cotton swab just inside the nostril that was bleeding (on the septum, the wall between the nostrils); this will help prevent recurrence. For repeated bloody noses or a nose that won't easily stop bleeding, consult your physician.

Burns:

About 85% of burns are minor ones, indicated by red and moist or swollen skin that is very sensitive. The burned area will usually whiten when lightly touched. Treat minor burns as follows:
1) Remove clothing from burned area (unless it's stuck to skin).
2) Cool the burned skin immediately by holding it under cold tap water for five to ten minutes or until it no longer hurts.
3) Apply an antibiotic ointment and a bandage.
A more severe burn will produce blisters that are red or white and filled with a clear, thick fluid. If a blister develops, don't break it; it will serve as a natural layer of protection for the tender skin underneath.
If the burn is on baby's hand, face, or the genital area, or if it covers an area larger than your baby's hand, have it evaluated by a doctor the same day.
Major (or third degree) burns vary in appearance. The skin may be white and soft, bright red, or black, charred, and leathery. Generally major burns aren't painful because the nerve endings in the skin have been destroyed. If you suspect such a burn, call an ambulance immediately. If baby goes into shock, he will quickly become chilled. Keep him warm with a sheet or blanket until help arrives.

Stings and Bites:

If your baby gets stung by a bee, remove the stinger as quickly as possible. Use a scraping motion with your fingernail or a piece of firm plastic, like a credit card, or try tweezers. Cold compresses will help reduce pain, or you can give baby oral acetaminophen drops, following your pediatrician's instructions. Your baby's doctor may also recommend an antihistamine (such as diphenhydramine) in addition to acetaminophen to lessen any allergic reaction. Simple insect bites may be soothed with plain calamine lotion, and occasionally by an oral antihistamine.
If you see any whole-body reactions or changes distant from the site of the sting-such as hives, paleness, or vomiting, or if baby has difficulty breathing or his alertness decreases-seek immediate medical advice and treatment.

Eye Irritants:

Any kind of eye pain or injury requires medical attention. You will know if a baby's eye is causing him distress when it is red or tearing and appears to be making him fussy.
If an irritating substance, such as a chemical, is in a baby's eye, you can rinse it out with running water. Either hold baby's eye under a gentle stream of room-temperature water at the kitchen sink, or flush the eye with water poured out of a clean jar or glass. Continue rinsing the eye for about 15 minutes, then consult your pediatrician or the local poison-control center.
If a simple foreign body (such as an eyelash) is in the edge of the eye, you can remove it by a gentle sweep with a moist cotton swab. Stay away from the central, colored part of the eye, and try not to apply pressure. You should always consult a doctor before attempting to remove any embedded foreign objects.
If you don't know what is causing baby's eye pain but suspect an injury, call an ambulance, then gently bandage the eye while you await medical help. If you don't have an eye patch, place sterile gauze over the eye as the infant closes it, and tape it in place.

Head Injuries:

Control bleeding by applying pressure with a clean cloth or gauze directly over the bleeding site.
If the baby is unconscious but breathing, call for an ambulance. If there is any chance that there is a neck or back injury as well, leave baby where he is while you wait for an ambulance to arrive.
If baby is not breathing, you will have to administer rescue breathing while you wait for an ambulance:
1) Lay baby on his back on a flat surface. If you suspect a neck or back injury, move his head and body as a whole unit, without twisting or bending his neck.
2) If someone else is with you, have that person telephone for emergency medical service while you begin to give rescue breathing, as in the "Drowning" section. If you are alone, scream for help, administer rescue breathing for one minute, then call 911.
If baby is conscious but acting strangely, has a convulsion, vomits repeatedly, can't move a certain body part, is persistently irritable after the initial crying has stopped, or has a clear discharge coming from his ears or nose, call your doctor right away.
If baby acts normally and appears to be in no pain, he can usually be observed at home for a few days, with advice over the phone from your child's physician.

Splinters:

Gently wash the affected area with soap and water; this will prevent anything on the surface of the skin from infecting the wound. Most splinters can be removed with tweezers by pulling gently upward and outward. If the splinter is buried just beneath the skin, you may be able to expose it with a sewing needle. Sterilize the needle in a match flame, then let it cool. Try to work the splinter out by using a gentle picking and lifting motion. Once the splinter is exposed, it can be lifted out with tweezers. If you cannot remove the splinter after several attempts, don't persist, or you may cause infection. Call your doctor for further advice.

Home

Last Updated