CHILD AND LIFESPAN
DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 18: Safety and Health
Journal
 Read the old saying. Write a paragraph about what
you think it may mean.
“Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever”
State Standards
 Standard 4.4: Analyze necessary components of a
healthy , safe, and stimulating environment during the
infant and toddler stages.
 Standard 5.4: Analyze necessary components of a
healthy , safe, and stimulating environment during
preschool years.
 Standard 6.4: Analyze necessary components of a
healthy , safe, and stimulating environment during
middle childhood.
 Standard 7.4: Analyze necessary components of a
healthy , safe, and stimulating environment during
adolescence.
Definition Carousel
 Around the room find white boards with one word
on each.
 Travel around the room and add a comment about
the word. It may be a definition or an example.
 Only one group at each board at a time!
SECTION 18-1
Preventing Accidents and Handling Emergencies
Safety
 The safety of a child is the most important
responsibility of every caregiver!
 Each age has it particular hazards because children
of different ages have different abilities.
Infants
 Falls cause the most injuries among babies
 Babies tend to fall head first, causing brain damage.
 Never leave a baby unattended.
 Babies like to suck and chew on almost anything.
This can cause 3 hazards:
 Chocking on small objects
 Chocking or suffocating on plastic bags
 Poisoning- make sure anything that babies could
place their mouth on is non toxic
 Have the poison control number handy at all times!
Common
Household
Poisons
Kinds of Poison
Examples
Type of Contact
Medicines
Prescription Pills
Over the Counter Meds
Vitamins
Cold Preparations
Swallowing
Cleaning Products
Ammonia
Detergents
Bleach
Cleaners
Disinfectants
Swallowing
Skin
Eyes
Inhaling
Personal Care
Products
Shampoo/ Soap
Nail Polish and Remover
Perfumes/Lotions
Mouthwash
Swallowing
Skin
Eyes
Inhaling
Gardening and
Garage Products
Insecticides/ Fertilizers
Poisons
Gasoline
Paint Thinner
Antifreeze
Swallowing
Skin
Eyes
Inhaling
Plants
English Ivy
Daffodil Bulbs
Holly Berries
Poinsettias
Swallowing
Skin
Infants, continued
 A small child should never be left alone near water
 Don’t only think pool!
 This includes toilets!
 Car accidents cause more accidents among
children than any other factor
 Use a, approved safety seat. Adult seat belts do not
protect children.
Car Seat Laws in Tennessee
 Children under 1 or any child weighing less than 20
pounds must be in a rear facing restraint system
 Children 1-3 and weighing more than 20 pounds
must be in a forward facing restraint system
 Children 4-8 and less than 4’9” tall must be in a
belt positioning booster seat system
Ages 1-3
 Ages 1-3 need very careful supervision!
 Very mobile
 Can get into danger quickly
 No toddler should be left unattended more than a few
minutes- even if they are within hearing distance
 Prevent Chocking by teaching toddlers these rules:
 stay seated while eating
 Always take small bites
 Chew all food thoroughly
 Swallow before taking another bite
 Don’t talk or laugh with food in the mouth
 Keep small toys and other small objects out of the mouth
SAFE OR NOT SAFE?
Are these objects a choking hazard?
Ages 4 and Older
 Teach children good safety practices!
 Outdoor play equipment should be firmly
anchored
 The ground should be covered with a soft material to
cushion falls
 All matches or lighters should be locked away
 Caregivers should set and enforce safety rules
 Many children are fascinated by fire. All matches
and lighters should be locked away.
Guidelines for Fast Action
 If a child in your care gets hurt:
Above all, try to remain calm.
2. Evaluate the situation
3. Make the victim comfortable
4. Call for help if necessary
1.
1.
911, poison control center, your family doctor
5. Give the minimum necessary first aid treatment
Using Standard Precautions
 Reduce your risks of spreading diseases!
 Use disposable gloves when changing diapers
 Complete thorough, frequent hand washing
 Perform proper cleaning of surfaces and disposal of
items which may be contaminated
 Use special devices for mouth to mouth resuscitation
First Aid
 Be familiar with first aid procedures if you are going to
be a care giver!
 Animal Bites
 Wash the area with soap and water
 If the animal bit the child with provocation, call the local
health department so the animal will be tested for rabies
 Bumps and Bruises
 Treat with a cold cloth or ice pack
 If the child complains for more than 1 day, call a doctor
 Call the doctor if the child looses consciousness, is drowsy
or irritable, complains with a headache, or vomits
First Aid, continued
 Bleeding
 Minor cuts and scrapes- stop the bleeding by placing a
clean cloth or gauze pad on the wound and pressing
hard for 10-15 minutes without releasing
 Deep cuts or wounds- if breathing is rapid and sharp
send for medical help; try to stop the bleeding by
applying a soft cloth or gauze and pressure; try
elevation
 Nosebleeds- have child sit and lean slightly forward;
put pressure on the nose with your fingers just below
the bones for several minutes; sometimes cold packs
help
First Aid, continued
 Burns
 1st degree burns- red and slightly swollen; cover the area
with cool water or a cold cloth until the pain stops
 2nd degree burns- deeper, redder, and blistered; use cool
water or cloth to start , but should be treated by a
physician
 3rd degree burns- destroy the skin, may look white or
charred; may be very little pain at first due to destroyed
nerve endings; these burns require immediate medical
attention
 Chemical Burns- wash the affected area immediately with
cold water, remove and clothing with the chemical on it
(unless it is stuck to the skin), apply a clean bandage, call a
doctor
 Electrical Burns- may be deep but appear minor, cool area
with cool water, cover it with a clean bandage, have patient
lie down with legs elevated and head turned to one side (to
prevent shock), call for an ambulance
Choking
1.
Recognize the signs of choking:
Inability to speak, breathe, or cry
2. Bluish lips, nails, and skin
3. High-pitched noises or ineffective coughing
1.
2. Act quickly to dislodge the object!
3. Follow the steps on the next slide
First Aid, continued
 Convulsions: a seizure, a period of
unconsciousness with uncontrolled jerking or
twitching of the muscles
 Place the person on his/her side on the floor and away
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from any hard objects
Don’t attempt to hold the person down
Don’t attempt to place anything between their teeth
After they stop be sure the head is turned to the side
to prevent choking
Call the doctor for further instructions
If they last more than 15 minutes, call an ambulance
First Aid, continued
 Fainting: loss of consciousness
 May collapse without warning or may first experience
sweating, cold skin, nausea, or dizziness
 Someone who feels faint should lie down or sit with
their head between their legs
 When a person faints:
1.
2.
3.
loosen any tight clothing
Check to be sure they are still breathing; if not, call 911
and begin CPR, if you are certified
If person is breathing they should regain consciousness
within 2 minutes. If not, call for help
First Aid, continued
 Fractures and Sprains
 Fracture: break or a crack in a bone
 Sprain: an injury caused by sudden, violent stretching
of a joint or muscle
 Both may cause pain, swelling, or bruising
 If you suspect a fracture or sprain:
 Don’t move person until you know how serious it is,
this is especially important for back, neck, and collar
bone injuries
 Call for medical help
 Treat mild sprains by elevating and applying cold
ice packs
First Aid, continued
 Insect Stings and Bites
 Stings- includes bees and wasps
 Scrape off stinger
 Cover with a baking soda and water paste
 If the person is allergic take them to the doctor
immediately. Don’t wait for symptoms to begin!
 Watch the person. Take them to the doctor if they become
dizzy, faint, difficulty breathing, vomiting, hives, or heavy
perspiration
 Ticks Grab the tick with tweezers as close to the skin as possible
 Wash the area with soap and water
 Mosquito, ant, and chiggers
 Baking soda and water paste will give relief
First Aid, continued
 Poisoning
 From swallowed poisons- difficulty in breathing,
unconsciousness, fever, burns in the mouth and
throat, vomiting
 Skin contact- burns or rash on the skin
 Eye contact- burning or irritation to the eyes or
blindness
 Inhaled- choking, coughing, nausea, dizziness
 Steps to Take:
Find out what poisoned the child
2. Phone the poison control center, hospital, or doctor
3. Follow the directions you receive
1.
First Aid, continued
 Shock- due to severe injury, loss of great deal of
blood, poisoning
 Important body functions are impaired
 Symptoms- rapid pulse, clammy skin, shallow
breathing, enlarged pupils, glassy stare, and nausea
 Seek medical care immediately
 Keep person warm and lying down
 Splinters and Thorns
 Can become infected
 Use sterilized tweezers to remove it then cover with a
sterile bandage
Rescue Techniques
 Artificial Respiration- procedure for forcing air
into the lungs of a person whose breathing has
stopped
 Wear protective face mask and gloves
 CPR-cardiopulmonary resuscitation
 Used when both breathing and heart have stopped
 Special training is needed to perform CPR
Activity
 Each student will create a
first aid book
 Each book should have all
of these topics:
 Table of Contents
 Fainting
 Animal Bites
 Fractures/ Sprains
 Bleeding
 Insect Stings and Bites
 Bumps and Bruises
 Poisoning
 Burns
 Shock
 Choking
 Splinters and Thorns
 Convulsions
 Emergency Phone
Numbers
SECTION 18-2
Preventing Illness and Caring for a Sick Child
Journal
 Make a list of words describing how you felt the
last time you were sick
 Now make a list of words describing how you feel
when you are well
 Which set of feelings is more enjoyable?
Regular Health Care
 Children should have regular checkups
 Newborns require frequent checkups through the
year.
 Older children less frequent but at least 1 time a
year
 Call the doctor for these symptoms: fever, lack of
energy, prolonged diarrhea, constipation,
vomiting, difficulty breathing, persistent cough,
severe headache, and dizziness
Immunizations
 Immunize- to protect a person against a particular
disease
 Communicable disease- diseases that are easily
passed from one person to another
 Vaccine- small amount of disease-carrying germ
introduced into the body so the body can build a
resistance to it
 Antibodies- the body produces antibodies that
fight off germs for that disease
Allergies
 Allergy- an oversensitivity to one or more common
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substances
Allergies can be brought on by eating, breathing,
or touching substances
Symptoms can range from a rash to life threatening
reactions
Allergies can’t be cured
Medication might be prescribed to help control
the allergy
Some people have allergies so severe they carry a
medication called an epi-pen to be used in
emergency situations
Asthma
 Asthma- a condition that affects the lungs where
air passages tighten making it difficult to breathe
 Can be brought on by:
 allergic reaction
 cold or flu
 Cold Air
 Stress
 Etc
 Children with asthma can take medication to help
open their airways
Caring for a Sick Child
 Contagious- the period of time when a person can
easily pass germs on to someone else
 People who are contagious should stay inside and
away from other people
 Sometimes children need pain relief or medicine
to reduce a fever
 Use Tylenol or Motrin
 Make sure you following the dosing guidelines on the
bottle
Comforting a Sick Child
 Sick children need extra love and sympathy
 Children who are ill don’t have much energy for
play
 Children of different ages have different needs
when ill
 Infants: much more sleep, cranky, may want a lot of
physical comfort; gently rock, talk softly , sing, and
hold the baby close
 Ages 1-3: need help keeping comfortable and
occupied, staying in bed is difficult, quiet play
 Ages 4-12: can help care for themselves; have better
verbal skills; can enjoy playing quietly
Going to the Hospital
 Hospitalized children may fear that their parents
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have abandoned them
They may be frightened that they will be hurt or
they will die
If a hospital stay is scheduled for the future if may
be a good idea to visit the hospital ahead of time
While in the hospital as much information as
possible should be given to the child
Be honest- don’t tell them it won’t hurt if it will!
Identifying and Treating Diseases
 Assignment Each group will put together a presentation on a
disease that is included on the chart on pages 568-569
 Include:
 Causes of the disease
 Symptoms of the Disease
 Treatment
 Pictures