Common Childhood Injuries and Poisonings
During a child's day, minor injuries may happen during play and sports activities. The face and head are especially at risk for cuts and scrapes.
Children's days are filled with running, jumping, bicycling, sports, and other fun activities that keep them active and on the go from morning until night. Along with the fun comes an occasional cut.
An abrasion is a superficial rub or wearing off of the skin, usually caused by a scrape or a brush burn. Abrasions are usually minor injuries that can be treated at home.
Detailed information on animal bites and rabies, including symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
Children should wear protective eyewear during sports and recreational activities. In the classroom, they should wear eye protection when doing lab experiments.
Detailed information on insect bites, including bee stings, flea bites, mite bites, chigger bites, spider bites, tick bites, and lyme disease
Detailed information on blisters, including cause, first aid, and treatment.
A bruise is a collection of blood underneath the skin that is caused by injury to an area of the body. Sometimes enough bleeding occurs so that a lump also forms.
Know the types of burns you can get and how to keep you and your family safe.
Cat scratch disease is a bacterial infection carried in cat saliva. It is passed from a cat bite or scratch to a human. It can also result from a fleabite, but cats are the main source.
Always remember that ordinary products you use each day around the home can become dangerous poisons in the hands of a child. Here's what you should know.
A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the cornea. This is the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye. Learn details about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
Cosmetics are among some of the most common sources of problems for contact lens wearers. Misusing cosmetics can lead to severe harmful reactions.
Most minor cuts or wounds to the face can be handled at home with simple first aid treatment. But there are also times when these injuries need medical care. Here's what you need to know.
Most minor nose wounds can be handled at home, but a wound or bruise that also involves 1 or both eyes needs immediate medical attention.
When your child is bitten or scratched by an animal, remain calm and reassure your child that you can help. Here's what you need to know.
In an emergency, it is easy to "forget" even the most well-known information. That's why it is crucial to complete the information in this form for each member of your household.
Helpful first aid tips for handling minor cuts, wounds, or deep cuts a child may get to the outer ear.
An orbital fracture happens when one or more bones around one of your child's eyes is broken. The orbit is the bony structure around the eye.
Eyelid lacerations are cuts to the eyelid. They are caused by injury.
Detailed information on eye trauma in children
Children are more likely to end up with a cut or scrape on the head or face. One reason is that children's sense of balance isn't completely adjusted.
Medicines are the leading cause of poisoning in children. Poisoning by makeup and personal care products is the next most common cause.
Sometimes accidental poisonings can be treated in the home under the direction of a poison control center or your child's healthcare provider. At other times, emergency medical care is necessary.
Fleas, mites, and chiggers are different kinds of small insects. They are also parasites. This means they feed off the blood, skin, or both of animals and humans. These insects are more common in the warm weather. They bite skin and cause symptoms such as bumps, redness, pain, or itching.
Frostbite is damage to parts of the body from freezing. It occurs when ice crystals form in the skin or in deeper tissue. Frostnip is a mild form of frostbite. It does not cause permanent tissue damage.
Human bite wounds are more likely to become infected than dog or cat bites. A healthcare provider should check any human bite that breaks the skin.
Detailed information on the common poisonings and injuries of children
Read on for important tips on what to do if your child has an insect in their ear.
A laceration (cut) is a tear or opening in the skin caused by an injury. Some lacerations are small and need only minor treatment at home.
Stitches, also called sutures, are special types of thread that hold the edges of a wound together while it heals.
Lead poisoning is a totally preventable disease. Children ages 1 to 3 who live in low-income housing built before 1978 are especially at risk. Read on to learn more.
In general, take your child to an emergency room after an injury any time you think the problem may need urgent care.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is an illness that occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) gas. It's a medical emergency and needs treatment right away.
Kids can get cuts and wounds in their mouth and on their lips when they are playing or doing sports. Learn how to use first aid for these injuries, and when to get medical care.
Mushroom poisoning happens when a child eats a mushroom that has poisons (toxins). Here's what you need to know, from symptoms to diagnosis and treatment.
Detailed information on muscle and joint injuries, including prevention
Nursemaid's elbow is a type of elbow injury. It's when a forearm bone (radius) slips out of place from where it normally attaches to the elbow joint.
Detailed information on poisoning, preventing poisoning and how to respond in an emergency
You can help your child by being prepared and preventing injuries from happening. It is important to take charge of your child's health and follow a program designed to help you and your family stay healthy and safe.
A puncture wound is a deep wound made by a sharp object. This type of wound may become infected easily because dirt and germs are carried deep into the tissues.
Rabies is a viral infection that attacks the nervous system. Once symptoms develop, it is often fatal. But a rabies vaccine, or a series of vaccines, given soon after contact with an animal infected with rabies can prevent the illness.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a bacterial infection. It’s spread by the bite of an infected tick. Learn details about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
Detailed information on the common poisonings and injuries of children
Wash the cut area well with soap and water, but do not scrub the wound. A dirty cut or scrape that is not thoroughly cleaned can cause scarring.
Both venomous and nonvenomous snakes can bite. It's important to treat all snakebites as if they are venomous. Here's what you need to know.
Most spiders in the U.S. are poisonous. The fangs of most spiders are too short or too fragile to break through human skin. Or their poison (venom) is too weak to cause damage. Most spider bites cause only minor, local reactions. But bites from the black widow and the brown recluse spiders can cause serious problems. Read on to learn more.
A splinter is a sharp sliver of wood, glass, or other debris that is lodged underneath the skin. Removal of small, superficial splinters can usually be done at home. Read on to learn how.
Insect stings can occur anywhere on the body and can be painful and frightening for a child. Most insect stings cause only minor discomfort. Most stings are from honeybees or yellow jackets, also called ground hornets.
The injury may be to a primary tooth or a permanent tooth. A tooth can be cracked, chipped, or totally detached from its socket.
Tennis elbow is a repetitive stress injury. It happens when the muscles and tendons in the elbow area are torn or damaged. Read on to learn what to do if your child
Detailed information on thermal injuries in children
Ticks feed on human blood. Most tick bites are harmless, but some species can cause serious diseases.
A young child may bite out of frustration or when under stress. Biting may also be an attempt to gain power, or just a way of exploring the world. Read on to learn how to respond if your child bites, no matter what the cause.
Detailed information on minor cuts, scrapes, and skin wounds in children
Chemical burns happen when a chemical gets into your child’s eye. Read on for details about this emergency situation.
The structures of the eye include the cornea, iris, pupil, macula, retina, and the optic nerve.
Whether the bite is from a family pet or an animal in the wild, scratches and bites can become infected and cause scarring. Animals can also carry diseases that can be transmitted through a bite.
Detailed list of advised items for a household first-aid kit.
Children usually place things in their ears because they are bored, curious, or copying other children. Some objects may cause no symptoms, but other objects, such as food and insects, may cause pain in the ear, redness, or drainage.
A foreign body in your child’s eye is any object that isn’t supposed to be there. The foreign object may be in the conjunctiva. This is a thin membrane that covers the white of the eye. Or it may be in the cornea. This is the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the colored part of the eye and the pupil.
Use this list as part of a thorough safety check of your home. It can help prevent accidents and injuries.
Detailed information on insect bites, including fleas, mites, chiggers, and ticks
A nosebleed is bleeding from tissues inside the nose (nasal mucus membranes) caused by a broken blood vessel. Most nosebleeds in children occur in the front part of the nose close to the nostrils.
Sprains and strains are types of injuries. A sprain is an injury to a ligament while a strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon.
Lyme disease is an infection caused by bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. The bacteria are usually spread by tick bites. Lyme disease is a year-round problem, but it peaks during the spring and summer months.
Protect your child from the sun. Up to 80% of total lifetime sun exposure occurs in the first 18 years of life.
Ticks attach themselves to the scalp, behind the ear, in the armpit and groin, and also between fingers and toes. Find out what to do if you find a tick on your child.