How to Save a Superkid

If Doogie can do it, so can you.

Allergies

Allergic reactions are common, especially among children who are experiencing something new everyday. Most reactions are mild and noticeable soon after contact with an allergen. We’re talking hives, rashes, nasal congestion, itching and watery eyes. The mild reactions are easily catered to. The first thing to know is to keep the child calm. They are going to live through this, but the anxiety and stress will make the reaction worse. Give them over the counter drugs or topicals that will ease the discomfort. Unsure about what medications are child safe and will get the job done? Call a doctor. That’s the most important piece of advice in any emergency situation. Even if it is not an emergency, doctors and nurses are more than willing to help, obviously.

The more severe reactions require immediate action. Look out for abdominal pain, high pitched breathing, alarming swelling, chest tightness, trouble breathing, nausea, dizziness and unconsciousness. The first thing to do is check the child’s airways, breathing and circulation (the ABC’s of Basic Life Support) and to stay calm and collected. A major sign of a serious allergic reaction is a hoarse voice or trouble talking as the throat swells. If necessary, start performing CPR. Otherwise, call 911 or head to the emergency room. Again, make sure the child is calm by reassuring him or her that everything is OK. If the child has allergy medication around give it to them, unless it is an oral medication and the throat is swelling. Prevent the child from going into shock by laying them flat and raising their feet about 12 inches then covering them with a blanket. Of course it’s important to talk them through all of this. Adding comfort to a scary situation is imperative.

Pro Tips

Bee stings are a common allergy, but the traditional tweezers pluck could do more harm than help. If a child is reacting to a bee sting, it’s better to scrape the stinger out with a fingernail or credit card, because the tweezers can squeeze out more venom.

1. If a child is having trouble breathing, don’t prop their head up on a pillow. It puts more stress on the airwaves making it harder to breath. Just lay them down flat.
2. Never assume an allergy shot is will prevent the child from reacting. Always be alert.
3. If a child suffers from food allergies introduce them to new foods with small amounts to be sure they won’t react to it.
4. If a child has an epinephrine pen, never use it on anyone else who is suffering from an allergic reaction. It might cause the reaction to worsen and puts that child in danger.

CPR

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and is essential for every parent, guardian or babysitter. Why? It’ll save a child’s life if they stop breathing or his or her heart has stopped beating. This often occurs after a child drowns, suffocates, gets electrocuted, suffers had trauma, gets poisoned or chokes. Knowing CPR could be the only thing keeping your child alive, so yeah, that’s important.

CPR involves rescuing the breathing, which provides oxygen to a child’s lungs, and chest compressions, which keeps the child’s blood circulating. Permanent brain damage can occur within minutes if a child’s blood flow stops, so doing CPR until the child starts breathing again or his or her heart starts pumping again is imperative.

NOTE: CPR is best done by a trained professional or someone who has taken an accredited CPR classes. The procedures have changed from the popular technique, focusing more on compression over rescue breathing. Please take a class; don’t only rely on this article.

These steps are based on guidance from the American Heart Association.

Check for alertness: IF the child isn’t moving or making noises, gently tap or shake him or her. Shout, “Are you OK?”

Get help: If there is no response, yell for someone to call 911. Do not leave the child alone until you have done CPR for about 2 minutes.

Lay them on his or her back: Carefully position the child. Be gentle. If there is a possibility of spinal injury two people should move the child.

Perform chest compression:

• Place the heel of one hand on the breastbone just below the nipples. Make sure your heel is not at the very end of the breastbone.
• Keep your other hand on the child’s forehead with the head tilted back.
• Press down on the child’s chest so that it compresses about 1/3 to 1/2 the depth of the chest.
• Give 30 chest compressions. Each time, let the chest rise completely. These compressions should be fast and hard with no pausing. Count the 30 compressions quickly, like the second hand on a clock.

Open the airway: Lift up the chin with one hand while tilting the head by pushing down on the forehead.

Check for breathing: Place your ear near the child’s mouth and nose and listen. Watch the chest for movement. If the child is not breathing begin giving rescue breaths. Cover the child’s mouth tightly with your mouth and pinch the nose closed. Make sure the chin is lifted and the head is tilted back. Give two rescue breaths lasting about a second making the chest rise.

Continue these steps for about two minutes. After two minutes if the child is still not breathing or reacting, leave the child and call 911 if someone else hasn’t already done this. Then continue to do this until help arrives or the child revives.

It takes four minutes without oxygen to result in permanent brain damage, and death can occur between four and six minutes.

Pro Tips

1. If the child may have suffered a spinal injury, do not let the mouth close. Pull the jaw forward without moving the neck or head.
2. If the child has signs of normal breathing, do not perform chest compressions. It can stop the heartbeats.
3. Leave the pulse checking to the professionals. Only medical professionals have the training for this.

Head Injury

Of course, we want our children to experience as much life as possible. We can’t keep them locked up in the basement so the outside world can’t get to them. We want them to try new things, like riding bikes, skateboarding, skiing even rollerblading if that’s what they desire. But with all of these new experiences, comes the danger of a head injury. Simply walking could cause a head injury, which is an trauma that injures the scalp, skull or brain.

A head injury can either be closed or open. A closed head injury means the child received a hard blow to the head from hitting an object, but it did not break the skull. Most common closed injuries are concussions, or the occasional scalp wound. An open, or penetrating, injury means that object broke the skull and entered the brain, which usually happens when moving at high speeds or getting shot.

If a child falls off a skateboard or down the stairs, the symptoms can slowly develop over hours or even days. Even if the skull isn’t cracked, the brain can shift in the skull causing bruising. Some injuries cause changes in brain function.

Parents should get help right away if his or her child becomes very sleepy, behaves abnormally, develops a severe headache, has pupils of unequal sizes, is unable to move any of their limbs, loses consciousness (even if it is brief), or vomits more than once.

If the head injury is severe, call 911 right away and check the ABC’s, if necessary perform CPR. Also, stop any bleeding by firmly pressing a clean cloth on the wound, just be sure not to move the child’s head. If it is less serious, just apply ice to the swollen area.

Pro Tip

1. Put your child in a helmet.
2. Do not was a head wound that is deep or bleeding a lot.
3. Do not remove an object sticking out of the wound.
4. Do not move the child, unless absolutely necessary.
5. Do not shake the child if they are dazed or confused.
6. Do not pick up a fallen child with any sign of head injury.
7. Keep an eye on any child who may have suffered a head injury.

Convulsions

Although less common than other injuries that can happen to a child, convulsions can be more frightening than say a dislocation or deep cut. Convulsions, often used interchangeably with the word “seizures,” are when a child’s body shakes rapidly and uncontrollably as his or her muscles contract and relax repeatedly.

No surprise that a convulsion is hard to watch, but most only last from 30 seconds to two minutes and are mostly harmless, but should still be taken seriously. However, if they are prolonged of if they continue to happen and the child doesn’t awaken in between, it is clearly a medical emergency.

Parents should be on the lookout for symptoms such as brief blackouts followed by a period of confusion, drooling or frothing from the mouth, eye movements, grunting and snorting, loss of bladder or stool control, teeth clenching, temporary halt in breathing, uncontrollable muscle spasms with twitching and jerking limbs, and any unusual behavior like sudden anger or laughter.

If a child starts to convulse, parents should lay the child on the ground to prevent falling and injury, and remove anything around the child that could harm them. Also, loosen the clothing, especially around the neck, and cushion the person’s head. If he or she starts vomiting, turn the child on his or her side, and stay with the child until it passes or medical help arrives.

Pro Tips

1. Warning signs of a convulsion include fear or anxiety, nausea or vertigo.
2. If the child has high fever, cool the child gradually with tepid water.
3. Do not restrain the child.
4. Do not move the child unless they are in a dangerous area.
5. Do not place anything between the child’s teeth.

Call 911 if this is the first time your child has convulsed, he or she does not wake, the convulsion last more than two minutes or the child starts to convulse in water.