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Care for an Injury with R.I.C.E.!
If your child has a minor strain or sprain, it can be
painful, but you may not need to head to the emergency department immediately. Instead, try R.I.C.E.
Rest
- As soon as your child complains of pain, make sure he or
she rests the injured joint or muscle.
Ice
- To avoid swelling, apply ice (wrapped in a towel to avoid
frostbite) to the injured area in 20-minute sessions every 3 to 4 hours for the first 24 hours.
Compression
- Wrap the injured area firmly with an elastic compression
bandage, found at your local drugstore.
Elevation
- Raise the injured area on pillows or cushions to prevent
swelling .
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A Parent's Guide to
First Aid Facts (cont.)
Infant CPR: Infant CPR should only be administered on a child less than 1
year old who is unconscious and is not breathing or has no pulse. Place the infant on a firm surface, unless you suspect
spinal cord injury, in which case you should not move the child. If someone else is nearby, have them call 911. Follow
these steps:
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Look, listen, and feel for breathing and pulse.
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If the baby is not breathing, open the baby's airway by placing your hand on the child's forehead
and tilting it backward.
-
Cover baby's nose and mouth with your mouth and breathe into the lungs until you see the chest rise.
If the chest doesn't rise when you blow in, make sure the airway is open and you have a tight seal around the nose and
mouth. If the baby doesn't start breathing, begin chest compressions.
-
Position your fingers on the baby's chest by tracing a line between the nipples with the tip of one
index finger. Stop in the middle and place the tips of your middle and ring fingers on the baby's chest (your fingers
should be directly on the breastbone).
-
Press down on the baby's chest five times in 3 seconds, smoothly compressing the baby's chest .5
inch to .75 inch.
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Cover baby's nose and mouth with your mouth and breathe into lungs until you see the chest rise. If
the chest doesn't rise when you blow in, make sure the airway is open and you have a tight seal around the nose and
mouth.
-
Repeat the cycle of five chest compressions followed by one breath every 2 to 3 seconds.
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Call 911.
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Repeat steps 2 through 5 until help arrives.
Child CPR: Child CPR should only be given when a child older than 1 year
is unconscious and is not breathing or has no pulse. Follow these steps:
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Determine if the child is conscious by saying his or her name loudly or by tapping the child on the
shoulder.
-
If you get no response, position the child on his or her back on a firm surface, careful not to
twist the head, neck, or spine.
-
Open the child's airway by placing your hand on the child's forehead and tilting it downward while
you place your other hand on his or her chin and lift upward.
-
Look, listen, and feel for breathing for 5 seconds.
-
If the child isn't breathing, pinch his or her nose shut, place your mouth over the child's mouth
and breathe into the lungs until you see the chest rise. If the chest doesn't rise when you blow in, make sure the
airway is open and you have a tight seal around the nose and mouth. Give the child two slow, long breaths.
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If the child doesn't resume breathing, check for a pulse.
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If the child doesn't have a pulse, feel down the center of the child's chest to the tip of the
breastbone. Measure two finger widths toward the head, and place the heel of your hand in this location, with the
fingers of the other hand interlocked on top. Lean forward so the shoulders are over the hands.
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Compress the chest quickly and forcefully five times, then give another rescue breath.
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Recheck the pulse after 1 minute, and if the child doesn't have a pulse or isn't breathing, call 911
and resume steps 4 through 8 until help arrives.
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