Stings and Bites

When Alexia was 2, happily playing in her Wendy house with my mom, her loud piercing scream had me racing outside to find her pointing to her thigh. She had been stung by a wasp. We quickly took her inside (the last thing I needed was her to be stung again!) and put a cold cloth over it. I was glued to her side for the next 2 hours, anxiously watching for any signs of an allergic reaction.

After some ibuprofen (she loves meds!!) she settled down and soaked up the attention.

 

With yet another crisis averted, that night I quickly revised some first aid on bites and stings. It’s always good to have a plan before these things happen, the last thing you need is to be hurriedly googling remedies when the heat is on! Our reaction in the minutes following these kinds of injuries can minimize the extent of harm.

 

So a few points to remember:

 

Signs of severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) Difficulty breathing Fainting Swelling of lips/face/throat Hives over the whole body CALL EMERGENCY SERVICES

Insect Stings:

Emergency:

A sting anywhere in the mouth needs immediate medical attention because they can swell severely and block airways!

Look for signs of severe allergy (can start within minutes to a few

hours, so keep a close eye)

 

Remove the stinger ASAP (if there is one) with a brisk scraping motion (do not pinch!) along the surface of the skin (bank cards work well!) Put a clean, cold compress over it (always wrap ice in a cloth to protect the skin) You can apply some calamine lotion, bicarbonate of soda paste (add a little water to bicarb), antihistamine cream If a small area of hives, nausea or vomiting develop, see your doctor Also have it checked out if it becomes red, painful, warm and swollen

 

Tick Bites

Using your fingers (yuck! better to use tweezers if you have), grasp as close to tick head (where it’s attached to the skin) and briskly pull it away Apply some antihistamine cream Keep it clean to prevent infection See your doctor if rash or fever develop

 

Animal or human bite:

After dog and cat bites, human bites are third most common bite seen in hospitals!!

If it is bleeding, apply continuous firm pressure for 5 minutes or until bleeding stops.

Wash the wound well with soapy water

See your doctor as the child may need tetanus/rabies shots and/or antibiotics and sometimes stitches

 

Also remember to share this information with your nanny/caregiver who is with the kids when you’re not around.

 

Hope it helps:)

xx