Guiding Children’s Health

1. Guiding Children’s Health It is important for centers to have health policies regarding children’s health.

2. Medical Exams • Shows if immunizations are current. • Shows if the child is free from diseases that could be passed to others. • Shows if the child has health problems that need special attention.

3. Children should stay home when… • A temperature over 100 degrees F. • Diarrhea or vomiting • Severe cough or cold • Drainage from open sores, eyes, nose, or ears. • Rash

4. Administering Medications • Medication has to be properly labeled. • If needs to be locked up out of children’s reach. • Always record child’s name, date, time, and the amount of medication given. • Make sure you follow prescribed dosage- check and double check.

5. Napping • Children should not share cots. • Sheets should be changed more than once a week if the child is ill, perspired, or soiled the sheets.

6. Contacting Parents • A sick child should be isolated from the classroom in an area to wait for parent pick up. • Contact parents if the child shows signs of illness.

7. Personal Hygiene • Wear hair nets. • Cover mouth when coughing or sneezing. • Proper hand washing.

8. First Aid • Store first aid items in one area and check them monthly to ensure necessary supplies. • Don’t lock first aid kits, you may not have time to search for the key. • Children with special needs may need additional supplies. • Always take a first aid kit on field trips.

9. Wound Treatment • The most common closed wound is a bruise. Cover the area with a cold cloth. • Cuts and scrapes are open wounds. Wounds that bleed little are more likely to become infected. • An example is puncture wounds. • Wash wounds with soap and water. Cover with bandage and press. Elevate if no fracture. • Seek help if the wound is deep or does not stop bleeding in a short amount of time.

10. Bites • If an animal bites a child and breaks the skin, consult a doctor. • Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of an animal onto an open cut. • If the animal cannot be found and tested, the child will have to undergo tests to check for rabies.

11. First Degree Burns • They are the least severe. • Result in brief contact with hot objects, scalded by hot water, etc. • Apply cold water to burn.

12. Second Degree Burns • Damage underlying layers of skin. • Marked by pain, blistering, swelling. • They require medical treatment. • Breaking blisters or treating with ointment could turn it into a 3rd degree burn. • Contact with hot liquids, extreme overexposure to sun, etc.

13. Third Degree Burns • Destroy the skin layer and nerve endings. • These burns are very serious; an ambulance should be called at once. • Can be caused by open flames, burning clothing, contact with electrical wires, etc.

14. Sunburn • Children can develop first or second degree burns. • Babies should be kept in the shade. • Children 6 months and older should have on sunscreen 30 minutes prior to exposure. • Reapply after 2 hrs. of sun exposure.