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Safety First – Be Prepared
Author: Jeannie Fleming-Gifford
You've prepared for labor and delivery. Think about the preparations you made. You may have attended special classes or used special equipment. You made it through. Congratulations!
Now, your house is filled with diapers, wipes, sleepers, and more baby gadgets than you ever knew existed.
You do it all for your baby.
You do it all to keep them safe and sound.
However, as you look around, be sure you haven't forgotten one very important item, a First Aid kit especially designed for your newborn's needs.
When it comes to being prepared and keeping your infant and your family safe, one worthwhile stop on the Internet is the American Red Cross.
The American Red Cross (www.redcross.org) recommends these 3 simple steps for being prepared:
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1. Have a First Aid kit (more information to follow!).
2. Make a plan. A plan should also be made for how to evacuate your baby and other family members in case of an emergency in the home (i.e. fire).
3. Be informed. This may include having a list of emergency numbers in your community, as well as a list of family and friends you can easily contact when you need immediate help. You should also think about a mechanism to stay informed in case of an emergency (i.e. a crank radio in case there is no electricity).
As for a First Aid kit, here are the basics generally included in a kit for a family of four as recommended by the American Red Cross:
- 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
- 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
- 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
- 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
- 5 antiseptic wipe packets
- 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
- 1 blanket (space blanket)
- 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
- 1 instant cold compress
- 2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)
- 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
- Scissors
- 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
- 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
- 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
- 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
- Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass)
- 2 triangular bandages
- Tweezers
- First aid instruction booklet
- Emergency phone numbers
- Personal medications
In addition to this comprehensive list, you will want to include a few things that may be especially needed for your baby in case of accident or injury. Of course, be sure to keep all items out of reach of your baby.
Additional items you may want to include in a First Aid kit for your baby are:
- An electrolyte replacement drink appropriate for babies (used to prevent dehydration as advised by your pediatrician)
- A medicine dropper for dispensing medicine to babies, as needed
- Nasal aspirator bulb syringe for helping to clear out a stuffy nose
- Petroleum jelly to lubricate thermometer
- Digital thermometer
- A non-aspirin pain reliever recommended by your pediatrician (used for decreasing a temperature and for other ailments)
