First aid for a sprain or strain

With Halloween and Bonfire Night, it’s hard for the little ones in your care to not be excited about Autumn.

For those working in a childcare setting, the Autumn weather can make things a little more troublesome. Outside learning activities in the rain and slippery wet leaves, all present hazards in a childcare setting. Slips or trips could easily result in a sprain or strain from a fall, in fact falls account for 44 per cent of all children’s accidents.*

Whilst every step is taken to prevent this happening in childcare settings, it’s important to know what to do, if a child in your care falls awkwardly, resulting in a sprain or strain.

A child with a sprain or strain may have pain, swelling or bruising around a joint or muscle. If the injury is at a joint, they may have difficulty in moving a limb.

How to help if a child has a sprain or strain

1. Apply an ice pack to the injury for up to 20 minutes.

Something cold, such as frozen vegetables wrapped in a cloth will help to reduce pain and swelling.

2.Get them to rest the injured part of the body in a raised comfortable position.

This will prevent any further injury to the area and may help to reduce the pain

If there is no improvement, seek medical advice.

First aid at your fingertips

Our free baby and child first aid app can help keep the little ones in your care safe. It’s packed with videos and easy to follow advice, so you can learn the skills to help in a first aid emergency.

Download from Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cube.rca.bcfa&hl=en_GB&gl=Uk

Download from the Apple store

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/baby-and-child-first-aid/id646471621

*Source: ROSPA

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