How To Build A Baby-Safe First Aid Kit For Home

Published on May 26, 2022 at 2:27:07 PM PDT May 26, 2022 at 2:27:07 PM PDTth, May 26, 2022 at 2:27:07 PM PDT

How To Build A Baby-Safe First Aid Kit For Home

As you prepare to bring your sweet newborn baby home, you may find yourself running around to compile a laundry list of baby essentials. From nursery essentials to feeding must-haves – it probably feels like your baby needs everything under the sun! Big-ticket items like prams and car seats are a no brainer, but necessary yet slightly more inconspicuous items may fly directly under your radar. One of these items includes a proper first aid kit for your precious newborn.

You may not realise it right now, but no matter how extensive your baby proofing methods can be, it’s nigh on impossible to stop any and all forms of minor cuts, scrapes and bruises from happening – short of covering them completely in bubble wrap! And that doesn’t even take general illnesses into consideration, either.

Which is why it’s so important to build yourself a properly-stocked first aid kit for your little one. While you can always opt for a pre-packed first aid kit, we recommend creating one yourself from scratch instead. This ensures that you know what’s included in your medical kit and have everything prepared for any sort of situation.

Unsure what items you should be packing into your homemade first aid kit for children? Here’s a comprehensive run-down of the essentials.

Baby First-Aid Kit Essentials

Treatments

Infant Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) and Ibuprofen: When your baby comes down with a fever, you can offer your child acetaminophen (can be used from 2 months of age) and ibuprofen (can be used after 6 months of age). Aside from fever, these medicines can be used when your child is experiencing aches and pains, such as those caused by teething and child vaccinations. Both acetaminophen and ibuprofen work to bring down your child’s temperature and provide some temporary pain relief.

Infant Triple-Antibiotic Ointment: If your child has a superficial wound, the first thing you’ll want to do is rinse that area under clean, running water before gently dabbing triple-antibiotic ointment to treat the injury and speed up the healing process.

Antiseptic Solution: An antiseptic solution works to reduce microbial count and mitigate the progression of an infection. It works especially well to target fungi and virus infections.

Sudocrem Antiseptic Cream: Can be used for diaper rash, minor burns, surface wounds and sunburn. Many parents see Sudocrem as somewhat of a miracle, do-it-all ointment!

Petroleum Jelly: Petroleum jelly is an occlusive substance that can effectively block moisture loss, keeping the skin underneath hydrated and healthy. This means it’s perfect for preventing and treating dry, rough, itchy skin, and minor skin irritations, like diaper rash and skin burns.

Gas Drops: Since a baby is incapable of passing gas, you will need to help them by burping them. However, when that doesn’t work, you can consider using infant gas drops to break up their baby’s gas bubbles and help with fussiness and colic.

Medical Covering

Cotton Balls: An absolute must-have for any child’s first aid kit, cotton balls are used to stop bleeding, clean out the wound and apply a topical ointment.

Mothercare Small Cotton Wool Balls: Made from 100% cotton, our cotton wool balls are gentle for your baby’s skin.

Bandages: Bandages are required to cover, dress, and bind up wounds – and they are especially critical for open wounds. These come in varying levels of durability, adhesion, and breathability. Be sure to not wrap too tightly, or else it can cut off circulation. To help calm your child down, it may be a good idea to choose themed bandages that feature their favourite character.

Alcohol Wipes: Besides cleaning wounds, alcohol wipes are also useful for cleaning tools like tweezers, nail clippers, and thermometers before and after use. Having clean and sterile gear is imperative as it’ll help prevent infections.

Hardware

Nasal Aspirator/Bulb Syringe: Just as how they need help to pass gas, babies aren’t capable of clearing their own stuffy nose. Nasal aspirators and bulb syringes can help by removing liquid such as milk, formula, or mucus by way of suction.

Lollababy Electric Nasal Aspirator: This portable and compact nasal aspirator is also waterproof, which makes day-to-day maintenance and cleaning easy. Latex- and BPA-free, this medical-grade quality aspirator also has a low noise feature to make for a non-distressing experience for babies and young children.

Saline Spray: Saline sprays are often used after a nasal aspirator to clean their nasal passages and reduce congestion.

Medicine Dropper: If you haven’t had to do it yet, you might not know how tricky it can be to actually give your child the medicine they need! Medicine droppers help to ensure that the right dosage is given and that (most of) the medicine is taken.

Tommee Tippee Medi-Vit Feeder: This medicine dropper is designed with a front part that helps to keep your baby’s tongue controlled to ensure that the medicine or supplement ends up in their mouth. Its plunger tip is made from food grade silicone with a high tensile strength. The medicine feeder body, plunger and cover are all made from high-quality, non-toxic, unbreakable and temperature-resistant plastic, making it dishwasher safe.

Baby Thermometer: A must-have in your baby’s first aid kit, a quality thermometer helps measure just your little one’s body temperature.

Braun Non Touch Forehead Thermometer: The first and only thermometer with both no touch and touch modes utilises breakthrough technology (ultra-sensitive sensor and optical system) to give clinically accurate and consistent. It also has a silent mode, perfect for when the baby is sleeping.

Tweezers: Even babies can get splinters! A pair of tweezers can be extremely useful when pulling them out.

Nail Clippers: Don’t be surprised if your baby’s fingernails can grow with a blink of an eye! Unfortunately, these sharp nails can accidentally cause minor cuts when they move. Avoid these preventable scrapes and scratches with a good pair of nail clippers.

Tommee Tippee Baby Nail Clippers with Holder: These clippers are ultra-gentle for their tiny, delicate nails and have a rounded edge for increased safety. Plus, they also have a moulded handle to prevent slipping.

Baby First-Aid Kit Safety Tips

Storing Your Items

Like so many other products that need to be kept well out of reach of your child during the baby-proofing process, first aid kits for kids must be stored either on a very high shelf or in a drawer somewhere that’s impossible for them to access. Since it contains objects with sharp edges, like tweezers, and plenty of medicines, it can bring harm your precious child.

Watch the Age-Appropriateness and Dosage

All of the supplies listed above are safe for babies over three months. Any younger, it’s best to seek advice from a paediatrician.

Even then, remember to always read the instructions of any medical gear or medicine before proceeding. In a similar vein, it’s incredibly important to give your bub the correct dosage as stated on the medicine’s packaging. Be sure to only use as directed, and if symptoms persist, take them to see a doctor.

Keep Your Supplies Clean

Bacteria can spread easily, even more so when items aren’t kept clean and sanitised properly. This is especially true for high-touch tools, such as thermometers. Avoid infections caused by bacteria by disinfecting and washing all of the supplies you use before and after using them.

A great way of making sure that your gear is clean is by using a quality steriliser.

Keep a List of Emergency Numbers

In addition to all of the essentials, it’s also absolutely vital to keep a card with all of the necessary emergency numbers written. These numbers include ones of the nearest hospitals as well as your paediatrician. In fact, throw in the emergency number for an ambulance (995) in there – the brain can do funny things in a time of crisis.

If you’re wondering what the telltale signs to bring your little one to the hospital are, here are several ‘red flag’ symptoms to keep your eyes on:

Troubles breathing and/or continuous wheezing: There could be myriad reasons why they’re struggling to breathe, some less serious and others more. Regardless of the severity, you’ll want to rush to the hospital lest their breathing cuts off.

Deep cuts or wounds: While minor cuts and scratches can be dealt with at home, larger cuts and wounds will probably need stitching up. The sooner this is done, the fewer chances bacteria can cause infection.

Big falls: Broken bones aren’t always obvious, nor are concussions. Both are very serious and need medical attention ASAP.

Allergic reactions: Breaking out in a rash or hives (especially after eating) can lead to anaphylaxis shock, which may cause your child’s blood pressure to drop suddenly and the airways narrow, blocking breathing. Any allergic reaction should be treated quickly.

Stomach troubles and dehydration: Newborns vomiting or have diarrhoea may need to be taken to the hospital for examination. In most cases, vomiting and diarrhoea are normal. However, if you see blood (red or black), green bile, or if the situation continues to persist, it should be a cause of concern.

Feverish and other particular symptoms combined: The combination of fever and lethargy, vomiting, dehydration or breathing issues should be a red flag. Be sure to bring your child to the hospital for professional observation.

High fever: Newborns with a fever of 38°C and above need to be taken to the hospital immediately as this can indicate a bacterial infection. The same should be done for older bubs and children with a fever of 40°C or higher.

Stomach pain specific to one area: Stomach pain can be a sign of something serious, like appendicitis. If the pain persists even with over-the-counter medication, be sure to bring them to the doctor as quickly as possible.

Even if there are no symptoms, there are times when your parenting gut-feeling hints that something might be wrong, don’t dismiss it! Always trust your gut and send your little one for a quick check-up – it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Note: The above medical information should act as a guide only. If you have any health concerns, please consult a doctor.

Safeguarding Your Child’s Health with Mothercare

If you’re looking for all the essentials to put into your first aid kit for kids, Mothercare has everything you need — all in one convenient place. As the go-to retail outlet for mother and baby products in Singapore, you’ll find everything from baby fashion to babycare products, and everything in between.

Shop online and get free shipping on any order of $60 or more. Conversely, find your closest Mothercare store in Singapore and browse the huge range of products in person!

If you have a question or need further information about one or more of the products available, you can reach out to the Digital Nursery Advisor via WhatsApp.