What should I have in my first aid kit?
Written by Sunny Dhain, Pharmacist, The Family Chemist
A first aid box or bag is an essential piece of family kit to have everything to hand for those little accidents and illnesses that pop up from time to time. But it’s not something we always think of packing when popping out with our little ones. So what should you consider keeping in a first aid kit both in the home and on the go?
Having a basic bag or box filled with all the essential items you could need for small emergencies like cuts, grazes and minor illnesses can be a lifeline when you least expect it. But with everything changing and updating since the original plastic red box with a cross we’ve all encountered when grazing our own knees as children, it can be hard to know what to pack for your own!
A baby or paediatric first aid kit is essentially a standard first aid kit but with added extras specifically for your baby or toddler. As your child grows you may still find some of these essential while you add to or update your kit to their needs.
Here are some basic items you may wish to add to your baby and toddler first aid kit. Many of these will work for the whole family too.
In the home
Having a larger kit for in the home is a good base for all your first aid medical supplies to have to hand when you need them
Items we would recommend are,
Cleansing wipes – Having cleansing wipes to hand is one of the quickest and easiest ways to clean cuts and grazes. Always use a fresh wipe and clean from the middle outwards.
Sticky plasters- a box of hypoallergenic plasters in different shapes and sizes can be the most useful bit of equipment to cover all kinds of minor cuts, grazes and blisters. You can even get plasters with patterns or popular characters on to help cheer up your little one after a fall or accident.
Saline pods - these pods are full of a sterile solution and useful for cleaning wounds / as an eye wash.
Bandages – bandages are useful for securing larger dressings over cuts and can also support a sprained ankle or joint. To secure you might also want to stock some adhesive tape.
Gauze dressings – Sometimes you need something a bit bigger than a plaster. A gauze dressing can be held in place with the tape and/or bandages above. Or Adhesive wound dressings are a quick and easy alternative.
Scissors and Tweezers - Scissors are handy to have to cut plasters and dressings or even your little one’s clothes should you need to. Tweezers are also great should you encounter a splinter. However if your child is restless, the splinter is particularly stubborn or you simply don’t have tweezers to hand, a great hack is using a medicine syringe to remove a splinter or even thorn from your child’s skin using the gentle suction it provides.
Ice packs – Ice packs are fantastic for reducing bumps and swelling. A bag of frozen veg from the freezer will work should you not have one to hand, but make sure you wrap it in something like a clean towel to prevent any cold burns caused by direct skin contact.
Pain relief – Make sure you’re always stocked up on your choice of pain or fever relief medicine for your baby or toddler as well as syringes or spoons to administer the medicines.
Thermometer - To establish if your child has a temperature, a thermometer is usually our first port of call. A digital ear thermometer, also known as a tympanic thermometer is the most accurate way to determine if your child has a fever. Forehead thermometers can be sensitive to changes in room temperature and strip type thermometers can only measure skin temperature, so for an accurate reading and ear thermometer is recommended. If you have inherited an old family glass thermometer it’s important to throw these out as they have been surpassed by far safer and accurate options.
Antihistamine cream - For stings bites and nettle rashes an antihistamine cream will help comfort the skin and ease itching. Should your child have any allergies including grass, pollen and pets it’s also a good idea to carry antihistamine medicine. Depending on your child’s age you will need to speak to your GP first as over the counter antihistamine medicines can only be supplied to over 2s unless on prescription.
Calamine lotion – Another skin soothing must is calamine lotion, ideal for treating sunburn or a chickenpox outbreak.
Burn Gel - Burns and scalds are generally treated in the same way. Your skin has 3 layers: the epidermis (outer later), the dermis and subcutaneous fat. A superficial epidermal burn or superficial dermal burn may be treated using a burns gel as long as the skin is not broken. Depending on the extent of a burn a cooling cream or gel may be used to provide some pain relief at the site. Severe burns with broken skin, pale, darkened, painful or puss must be attended to in hospital.
First aid manual – When your child has an accident or gets sick it’s easy to go into panic mode and forget the basics. A simple first aid guide will help trigger your memory and give you the basic procedures you need. Alternatively you can download a free app from St. John’s ambulance to your phone to have all the information to hand on the go. You can download the App here.
On the go
Sometimes when you’re leaving the house with babies and small children it already feels like you’re packing everything except the kitchen sink. We’re all used to keeping a supply of fever medicine and wipes to hand but what other items should you keep with you? Here’s our handy list of first aid essentials to keep in your changing bag or glove compartment.
Sticky plasters and dressings - A small box of sticky hypoallergenic plasters like those mentioned above for cuts and grazes. If you feel like you want to take something bigger, self adhesive wound dressings are the best as you won’t need tape and bandages to secure them.
Antiseptic wipes - A travel pack of antiseptic wipes will save space and do the trick should you need to clean a wound.
Instant ice packs – single use instant ice packs like ‘koolpack ’are fantastic for on the go and can remain cold for up to 40 minutes at room temperature once broken. Ideal for soothing bumps and bruises.
Travel sized scissors and tweezers - As discussed above these have many handy uses but a tiny travel sized version is great for saving space.
Medicines and creams - Always pack your go to pain and fever medicine along with an antihistamine cream.
Burn Gel - as above
Foil blankets - I have always kept a foil blanket in the car as they are an effective method of prevention against hypothermia. The use of a foil survival blanket or radiation blanket helps the body retain its own body heat by reflecting escaping heat back towards the body. As energy prices are going up and some people may not radiate their house as much due to costs a foil blanket can become useful to keep warm (probably not a first aid reason but valid point!). They may also be used if patients have a fever or are feeling cold.
First aid guide or app – A pocket sized guide to paediatric first aid and CPR could be essential when you least expect it but as mentioned above a phone app is a convenient way to have everything you need to hand when on the go.
In the car
So that you always know you have a first aid kit when travelling in the car it is useful to have the basics in there as well. Halfords sell a first aid kit specifically for this purpose – a link is here or you can make one up yourself including the same items as your ‘on the go’ first aid kit and adding the following:
Gloves - Sterile Gloves would be useful especially when you are applying bandages or dressings.
Resuscitation shield
You can buy standard ready packed first aid kits (in travel size or for the home) and then add to them or create your own from scratch. A specifically made and bought first aid kit should be green with the words ‘first aid’ but should you be creating your own you can repurpose any container or bag. The best kinds are waterproof and easy to carry. GP practices review first aid kits every three months. This is to review expiry dates, replace used equipment and to remind yourself what's in the first aid kit and how to use it. At home it would be sensible to review your first aid kid every 3-6 months (you could also add the expiry dates on top of the first aid kit as a handy reminder).
For any further help and advice for baby and children’s medicine and treatment, Sunny and The Family Chemist is on hand. Feel free to get in touch or visit our baby & child page for more information.
While you are here we have lots more blogs on various topics which you can find here, as well as our downloadable webinars on topics such as behaviour and emotions, sleep and toilet training.
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