At home
What the guidelines say to keep at home
Nine things, each one taken from a published guideline, with the source beside it.
No document in our sources publishes a list of what a first-aid kit should contain — we searched. So this is not one. It is only what the guidelines do say, and nothing was added to round the list off.
Worth having
- ✓
A digital thermometerUnder one year the reading is rectal; from a year old other sites are reliable. Under the arm, hold it in place for as long as the leaflet says.
NHS — “High temperature (fever) in children” · Junta de Andalucía — “Cuídame: guía para madres y padres”
- ✓
Oral rehydration saltsClean water, salt and sugar, a few cents a treatment. After a vomit, wait twenty minutes and then give small amounts at a time.
WHO — “Diarrhoeal disease” · SEUP — “Vómitos. Información para padres”
- ✓
Saline nose dropsFor a blocked nose: clean the nostrils gently before feeds and before sleep.
NHS — “Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)” · Junta de Andalucía — “Cuídame: orientaciones para el comienzo de la vida”
- ✓
The syringe the medicine came withAlways the syringe or spoon from that box, never a kitchen spoon. The same medicine is sold at different strengths, and its own measure is the one that matches.
NHS — “Paracetamol for children”
- ✓
Paracetamol or ibuprofen, by weightBy weight, not by age. There is a calculator on this site that uses the published table.
AEPap — “Guía rápida de dosificación práctica en pediatría”
Dose calculator →
Not worth having
- ✕
Aspirin, at any ageNever to a child: it can cause Reye's syndrome, rare but serious, which harms the liver and the brain. That is why it has no paediatric presentations.
CDC — “Ear Infection Basics” · MedlinePlus — “Chickenpox” · AEPap — “Guía rápida de dosificación práctica en pediatría”
- ✕
Cough and cold syrupsUnder four, not unless a doctor tells you to. Codeine and dextromethorphan are not recommended under twelve: there is no evidence they are safe or that they work.
CDC — “Ear Infection Basics” · PUC Chile — “Manual de Pediatría”
- ✕
Syrup of ipecacDo not make a child vomit after swallowing something. Ipecac is no longer used for this.
Ecimed — “Pediatría. Diagnóstico y tratamiento”
- ✕
Honey, before the first birthdayIt can carry the bacteria behind infant botulism. From one year old it is used for cough.
MedlinePlus — “Infant and Newborn Nutrition” · CDC — “Manage Common Cold”
Where to keep it
Out of reach and out of sight — high up, locked away, or behind a safety catch — and always in the packaging it came in. Every one of our sources repeats this one.
NHS — “Poisoning” · SEUP — “Intoxicaciones. Información para padres” · MedlinePlus — “Child Safety” · Junta de Andalucía — “Cuídame: orientaciones para el comienzo de la vida”
Check the dates
Rehydration salts expire like any medicine. And if anyone in the house carries an adrenaline auto-injector, its date is checked regularly and replaced before it runs out.
AEMPS — “Sueroral Hiposódico” · NHS — “Anaphylaxis”
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