AskMeDoctor!: Safety First! Preventing Kids Injuries From Happening

As a parent, we are always trying to protect our children from all these bumps, bruises, scrapes and falls. But we do believe that these are just part of growing up for an active, curious child. But with some practical steps and planning, these incidents are more likely to be the kind that a kiss, cuddle and bandaid will fix. However unintentional injuries, not diseases, can be the cause of serious injuries. Worry not, as we have Dr. Priya Sathish Chandran, a mother and a Paediatrician from Columbia Asia Hospital - Puchong, that can explain to us about child injuries and accidents. Can't wait anymore? Let's get to the questions that you sent us, shall we? #1: What are the most common injuries or accidents in children? Dr Priya: The common injuries and accidents that young children go through are falls, sometimes, burns. and broken bones. These are in broad categories. #2: What can I do to prevent serious child injuries? Dr Priya: Yes, prevention is always better. It is always better than treating the injuries. So, remember that toddlers and young children or even older children are very active and forever exploring. We need to have some preventive measures. For example, to keep the big windows close. Of course in corona’s situation, we always keep the windows open, but then they have the tendency to look down out of the windows, climbing on to the windows. To keep windows closed, install grills to prevent them from falling down from the windows. That’s the first one. Another thing is if there are some water or oil spilt on the floor, please wipe it immediately. Do not wait for them to skid down the water and fall down. Then, be aware that children can bump into furniture, hit their head and all and that can cause cuts and bruises. We need to have some covers on the sharp edges to prevent serious injuries. #3: What should I do if my child is injured? Dr Priya: This is a dilemma for many parents. To say; “Should I rush to a hospital?” or “Should I watch and read first?” Blood presence is always a matter of panic. So, first and foremost, make sure that your child is conscious and alert. If your child fell down and he’s not responding to your calls, that is the sign that you need to rush to a hospital immediately. You don’t have to wait. You can call the ambulance if there’s a hospital nearby, but if it is going to take an hour, you might as well bring them directly. Is there any difference between a paediatrician or a hospital? Sometimes as a parent, like when there’s an injury, when do we bring them to a hospital and when do we bring them to a paediatrician? Dr Priya: In any hospital, the emergency room is the best place to approach at least for an assessment. To say something like, “Okay, this is a minor injury, perhaps you can bring them home.” Or “Perhaps the next day you can go to a paediatrician.”. Or “Now we must do something now!” So, that’s the best place to go. Assessment can be done as well as immediate treatment. For example, if there is a minor injury, the child is put on some gauze bandage, applying bandage, and then the bleeding is stopped—good enough. Or if the child has a broken bone, you will be given a splint support, and later go for an x-ray to prove that there’s a bone injury. That can be done in due time. But immediately, you go to the emergency room for an assessment. That’s the purpose of an emergency room as well. #4: How do I childproof my home? Dr Priya: So, what does childproofing mean in the first place? It means you keep the environment safe for your active toddlers or young children. So, as I mentioned just before, keep the drawers closed, use fasteners, use some covers on the sharp corners of the tables and chairs. That's important. Another important place is the bathroom. Children and toddlers like to crawl into the bathroom and explore, So, always keep the door closed, it’s a big thing. It will make a lot of difference. So, we need to keep the active and curious toddlers out of the water area. Sometimes, they can even drown in a quarter bucket of water. These are some of the important things to remember. The other thing is using mats in the bathroom so that they won’t slip and fall. and have bone injuries and all that. A lot of accidents happen in bathrooms, right? Dr Priya: Yes, yes. Sometimes, they can fall down and have head injuries. So, all of that can be taken care of by doing simple measures. Like using mats in the bathroom. And also, using gates at the kitchen and at the stairs. I think those are important as well. This is because they tend to wander into the kitchen and then they do exploring themselves where they reach onto the kitchen table and pull down hot kettles or pull down the wires and hot water. The other area is the stairs. Having a gate at the stairs could prevent them from climbing and they crawl up the stairs at about nine months old, but then, they are not coordinated to come down safely until about two years old. Once they go up and then they are stuck there, they will do some manoeuvres to come down, and through the process, they can fall down and have severe injuries as well. So, it’s important to have a gate to prevent them from climbing the stairs. Until it’s safe and they are old enough to climb up and down the stairs. #5: When should I bring my child to the doctor? Dr Priya: So, any child who is injured needs an assessment. Although the injury might appear very simple, but then the important thing is: Is the child able to recover and get on with their usual activities? If not, you would need to bring them to an emergency room for an assessment to make sure they are safe and they are not suffering from serious consequences of the injuries. What would be the few actions that I should take when an accident happens? Dr Priya: First and foremost, check whether your child is awake and alert. And is the child crying? That’s a good sign. Although it makes you panic. Is there any bleeding point? If not, you can calm the child down and watch the child and see are they able to do their usual activities or not? If not, it’s time to go to a hospital. https://www.youtube.com/watch?vShFtrBPpXII That's a lot of information about common child injuries, mummies! Now you know the basics, thanks to Dr Priya and her expertise. Make sure to childproof your homes and be vigilant when letting the little monster loose in the wilderness! Tuned in next time for more info on health and wellness for your family with our experts here at AskMeDoctor! on Motherhood Story.

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