The falls they are a usual possibility in the domestic environment and a frequent accident. We will pay attention not only to how to treat them, but how to prevent them.
Keep in mind that falls have a strong emotional component, since there are many factors added to the injury such as lack of security, the need for comfort and the feeling of vulnerability. Let's identify some preventive tips.
- Obstacles The bedroom floor, living room and hallways should be as free as possible of toys.
- Slips Attention after scrubbing the floor of the kitchen or bathroom: we must close the door, in addition to indicating to children the risk. You also have to be aware in the bathtub and shower, using non-slip mats
- Barriers. If we live at home of different heights, check the behavior of the children at the stairs. If it is not prudent, "hatches" must be placed to control the passage. Barriers can also be a solution for low windows. You have to measure the separation between the bars as children have a bad habit of putting their heads inside, among other things because they are not aware that their head is also growing and that what they were doing comfortably a few months ago, now they can leave them locked on the barrier
In the event that our preventive work has not worked we must take into account a series of factors to assess the severity of the blow or bruise in the fall.
- Intensity of the blow. Height from which the fall has occurred and initial force that the child was using (it is not the same to stumble against a wall walking than running).
- Body area where you have suffered the bruise. Face, neck or joints are the most sensitive areas. In the face, the blood vessels are very numerous and can lead to bulky reactions (like the typical bump on the forehead).
- Child's reaction In case of inconsolable crying or a momentary loss of consciousness, we must go to the doctor to rule out serious injuries.
- Appearance of the bruised area shortly after the blow. There may be a simple redness, a bruise (a glass breaks but the volume of the area does not increase) or a bruise (in which a relief or bump appears) With these factors we can decide if we should go to the health center or we can solve it at home. Finally we are going to make some recommendations on how to deal with the possible injury.
- Cold use If there has been no injury but we see that there is a cluster of blood, the cold will provide us with an analgesic action (it will help to cope with the pain of the blow) and stop the arrival of blood by its vasoconstrictor action (thus reducing the size of the bump).
- As for comfort, we must adjust our response to what the child needs, but without exaggerating it in intensity or time. Falls are a symbol of awareness of physical limitations and the idea that we should encourage is that we all have limitations but we can overcome them with tenacity and tranquility, but we must not convey the idea that in case of difficulty, we (the parents, or adults) we are necessary to overcome the failure. We help them to console themselves, but it is they who overcome the situation (with our assistance). Photo | Flickr (Neoliminal) On Babies and more | How to act in case of a domestic accident (I) ?: Injuries, Increase the number of children with injuries due to falling furniture, Prevent accidents in the children's room
