First Aid
Every year 10 - 15 % of all children see a doctor because the child is hurt, and that is just the tip of the iceberg because parents handle far most injuries. No matter the age, boys have the most accidents. This is because most boys are more violent in their play than girls. Boys have a tendency to push their luck.
Most accidents occur at home or when the child does sports. In the first year – before the child learns how to walk – only few accidents occur. The most common accidents for that age are when an infant falls from a parent’s lap or from a table. When the child has learned to walk around much more accidents occur. From the time you are 1 to 3 years old is when most accidents happen in your entire life. Especially accidents on playgrounds, where a child falls from a swing or a climbing frame, are frequent. Poisoning especially occur at age 1 to 5 years old. After the age of 3 the number of accidents drop and from 8 to 12 years only rarely do accidents occur. From the age of 3, violent play and bicycle accidents are the most frequent. When the child starts attending school traffic accidents and sport injuries dominate.
When the child is injured, many parents wonder whether they could have prevented it. Many accidents are indeed preventable with forethought by parents. However, far the most (80%) accidents occur under adult supervision. Anyone knows that you can hold a child’s hand from sunrise to sunset – accidents just happen no matter what.
You should of course try to prevent accidents, but when the damage is done it is important that the parent know how to help their child. When your child is injured you can click and read about:
- Causes of injuries
- What can you do yourself
- When to contact a doctor the next day
- When to contact a doctor immediately
Most injuries are treatable at home, but some injuries demand that you contact a doctor. Knowledge about first aid can make it easier for a parent to determine when they are able to handle the situation and when to contact the doctor.