All of know that our children need to visit the doctor for regular checkups and when running a fever, but many parents do not know what to do in an emergency type situation. Every year in the US, fourteen million children will be injured and have to seek medical attention. Would you believe that every day 24,000 children under the age of 15 need emergency medical care? This is a staggering amount of injuries and for children between the ages of 5 to 14 this is a life threatening number, as injuries are to blame for more than three times as many lives as the second leading cause of death. Injuries are the number one cause of death and with that type of lead over the second cause of death; parents need to know what to do. The best thing for a parent to do in case of an accident is to call 9-1-1 first before moving the child. In some cases, moving the child can be very dangerous and even life threatening. During the summer months, your children are out playing and are at risk of having all kinds of accidents from bike wrecks, firework injuries, burns, near drowning, cuts, and broken bones. There is no way to avoid injuries, you can teach your children to be safe but accidents happen. You may not be sure if the injury is bad enough to warrant calling for emergency help unless you see quite a bit of blood, or if your child is unconscious and this may lead to serious problems if you are not sure. Some of the signs to look for to let you know you should call for help is if your child is acting withdrawn and less alert, if he or she is acting different than normal, if they are having problems breathing, if the skin or lips begin to look blue or purple, body jerking, knocked out teeth, severe or constant pain anywhere on the body, a severe headache or vomiting after hitting their head, and unresponsive. You can also help in keeping your children safe by placing all kinds of fireworks, firearms, and harmful chemicals out of their reach. This also includes such items as gasoline for the lawn mower, matches, cigarette lighters, sharp kitchen knives, candles, and other items that could cause harm to a young child. For outside play, ensure they wear helmets while riding bikes and skateboards. Teach them to ride safely and to watch for cars. Prevention is of course the better way to go, however, when an accident does occur, stay calm and call for help.
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