Safety 101: Expect the Best, Prepare for the Worst

By Paula Andruss

From choosing a name to decorating the nursery, you’ll spend countless hours getting ready for your new baby. But the most important planning you can do is to prepare yourself for a medical emergency involving your little one. Situations which seem less threatening for an adult can have dire consequences for a baby. And knowing how to recognize and respond to an emergency will give you the peace of mind and confidence to care for your child in any circumstance.

Emergencies include:

Difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, seizures or bleeding, burn, serious fall, broken bone, choking, poisoning, electric shock, near drowning, allergic reaction, high fever, animal bite, lethargy, severe pain, blue lips, dehydration (no tears when crying and no urination for 8 hours).

Take the following measures to make sure you’re as prepared as possible:

 Take an infant CPR/first-aid course, and try the CPR Teddy, a practice device that lets parents practice infant- and child-choking rescue and CPR skills at home.

 Identify your nearest children's emergency care facility, and know how to get there. “If you go to a general emergency department, they'll likely provide great care. But if you are able to access pediatric experts, why wouldn't you?” says Nancy Zahradnik, RN, MSN, Cincinnati Children's Hospital. “Pediatric emergency departments are staffed with pediatric experts, stocked with equipment specifically designed for children and babies, and have ready access to the resources needed to handle any pediatric emergency.”

 Keep your baby’s medical information easily accessible. Include baby’s full name, date of birth, medical history, medications or allergies, immunization record, and pediatrician’s number.

 Have an emergency phone list. Include your local ER, pediatrician’s number, poison control, and a friend or relative for emergency contact.