Children, Tumbles, Bumps and Bruises
We all know that children love nothing more than spending time in jungle gyms and running around the garden, but often, an afternoon of fun can turn to tears as soon as someone falls and gets hurt. Kitchens, stairs and the playground are a few of the places where accidents can happen if children are not closely supervised.
It is estimated that there are approximately 40,000 injuries to children on playgrounds each year that result in a hospital visit[1]. Many injuries can be treated at home with over-the-counter products
Whether you’ve dropped your kids off at school or are having a family fun day, here are some tips from Nelsons® Arnicare® to help you prevent and treat your little one’s bumps and bruises at home:
Prevention
Though you can’t control what happens once you’ve dropped your children off at school or nursery, here are a few tips to help prevent household injuries:
- Hold onto the handrail when carrying a baby or small child down stairs and keep stairs clear of any clutter.
- Watch out for signs that a baby is starting to crawl. Fit safety gates to stop them climbing stairs or falling down them.
- Teach young children how to use stairs safely and but never let them go up and down on their own. Also teach them never to play on stairs.
- Keep furniture such as beds and chairs away from windows to stop children climbing on them and falling out.
- Fit window locks to prevent them opening wider than 6.5cm (2.5”).
- Do not use the top bunk of bunk beds for toddlers or young children as they are only suitable for children over six-years-old.
Treatment
Whether you’re there when the tumble happens or your child comes home with some bruises, here are a few tips to help the bruise heal at home:
- If your child falls down, try to keep them calm and offer them some reassurance
- The bruised area should be raised if possible and supported in a comfortable position
- Put something cold on the bruised area, such as a bag of peas wrapped in a cloth
- Apply Nelsons® Arnicare® Arnica Cream, a homeopathic medicinal product, used within the homeopathic tradition for the symptomatic relief of bruises, to the affected area.
