What Should Be in a Paediatric First Aid Kit?

British Red Cross | What Should Be in a Paediatric First Aid Kit?

Little ones playing and exploring may lead to bumps and grazes and it’s important to remember that preparation is the best practice of prevention. Under the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework, Ofsted requires all providers on the Early Years Register to provide paediatric first aid provision. This includes providing appropriate contents in a first aid box that is always accessible, containing items suitable for use with children. However, what specific supplies should a paediatric first aid kit contain?

What should be included in a paediatric first aid kit?

There is no standard kit that works for everyone in every environment. However, the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 have suggested that a minimum first aid kit for a low-risk environment such as a childminders or nursery contains:

‒ individually wrapped sterile plasters of assorted sizes
‒ sterile eye pads
‒ individually wrapped triangular bandages, preferably sterile
‒ safety pins
‒ large and medium-sized sterile, individually wrapped, unmedicated wound dressings
‒ disposable gloves
‒ a leaflet giving general guidance on first aid.

You may find it useful to include the latest edition of the First Aid Manual, our comprehensive guide to over 100 first aid situations.

Many childcare settings also carry ice packs which are useful for all the bumps children get through playing and exploring. These can be stored in a first aid kit, although some do need to be kept chilled so check your manufacturer's guidelines.

Additional items you may identify in your first aid needs assessment and wish to include in your first aid kit include:

‒ sterile cleansing wipes
‒ hand sanitiser
‒ microporous tape
‒ scissors
‒ thermometer
‒ eyewash
‒ sterile gauze swabs
‒ tweezers.

It is recommended that the contents of your paediatric first aid kit are checked at regular intervals to ensure it is fully stocked and any expired or damaged supplies are discarded and replaced. The items within your first aid kit should be sealed, clean, and in-date.

If you would like to find out more around ensuring that your paediatric first aid kit is suitable for your organisation’s childcare needs, click here to read our blog.

The information in this article is provided by the British Red Cross and does not represent Morton Michel.