Causes :

Ingestion of medications, cleaning products, or toxic plants

Symptoms:

• Symptoms vary and can appear several hours after poisoning.

• They may include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue, seizures, eye irritation, loss of consciousness, or even cardiac arrest.

Measures to be taken:

• Immediately alert SAMU at 15

• If you think your little one has ingested, inhaled, or touched a toxic product, you can contact your regional poison control center:

  • Paris : 01 40 05 48 48

  • Marseille : 04 91 75 25 25

  • Lille : 0800 59 59 59

  • Rennes : 02 99 59 22 22

  • Rouen : 02 35 88 44 00

  • Reims : 03 26 78 79 20

  • Lyon : 04 72 11 69 11

  • Bordeaux : 05 56 96 40 80

  • Strasbourg : 03 88 37 37 37

  • Toulouse : 05 61 77 74 47

  • Orléans : 02 41 48 21 21

• While waiting for emergency doctors to arrive, stay calm and follow the instructions given by the poison control center.

• If your child is unconscious, place them in the recovery position (lateral safety position) and start resuscitation if they are no longer breathing.

• Always keep the original packaging of the product responsible for the poisoning, as emergency services may need it to determine the appropriate treatment.

• Note the time when you realized your child was poisoned.

• Only induce vomiting in your child if a healthcare professional advises you to do so! If they have ingested a toxic substance, vomiting could damage the esophagus.

• Do not give them milk, activated charcoal, or an emetic.

Causes :

Contact with a liquid or a hot surface

Symptoms:

• Symptoms depend on the degree of the burn:

  • A first-degree burn corresponds to red, dry skin without blisters, such as a sunburn.

  • A superficial second-degree burn causes swelling of the skin, which is red and covered with blisters containing clear fluid.

  • With a deep second-degree burn, the skin is pale under the blisters, and the deeper layer of the epidermis is affected.

  • A third-degree burn includes a brown, or even black, wound with swollen edges.

Measures to be taken:

• Keep your child away from the heat source and assess the severity of the burn.

• Immediately remove your child's clothing to prevent fibers from adhering to the wound surface.

• Rinse the burn with lukewarm water (between 15 and 25°C) for at least fifteen minutes. Then dry the burned area with a clean cloth by patting. Contrary to popular belief, do not pour cold water on a burn.

• Do not apply a compress to the wound; instead, use a clean, dry cotton cloth.

• If it is a first-degree burn and, after advice and consultation with your pharmacist, apply a specific cream several times a day to the redness. You can also contact your doctor if you are unsure of the steps to take, especially if the burn affects the face. Some burns are often underestimated, and their extent may become apparent several hours after the accident.

• In the case of second- or third-degree burns, call 15 or consult emergency pediatric services.

Causes :

• Babies and toddlers are more sensitive to heat than adults; heatstroke can happen quickly.

• Prolonged exposure to the sun can quickly irritate the meninges.

Symptoms:

• A high fever that can exceed 41°C.

• Your child may be restless, crying, tired, and have dark circles under their eyes.

• They may suffer from headaches, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

• Their skin, lips, and mouth are dry.

Measures to be taken:

• Move your child to a cool place, undress them, and lay them down.

• Cool your little one by wrapping them in a cloth dampened with cold water, and apply a cool compress to their neck and head.

• Give them fresh water to drink if they are conscious.

• Stay by their side, and if their condition does not improve after about twenty minutes, notify emergency services immediately.

Causes :

• In spring and summer, your little adventurer may be stung by a bee, a wasp, a mosquito, or another insect.

• During outdoor explorations, ticks can be quite voracious.

Symptoms:

• Swelling, redness, and itching at the site of the bite.

• If your child is allergic, they may experience breathing difficulties, swelling of the throat and face, nausea and vomiting, or a skin rash.

• In the case of a tick bite, a small red bump forms at the site of the bite, and redness may also appear.

Measures to be taken:

• Most insect bites are harmless and disappear within two or three days.

• An after-bite gel specially designed for little ones can help soothe the itching.

• If the stinger from a bee or wasp remains lodged in your child's skin, carefully remove it with tweezers. Do not squeeze the stinger, to prevent more venom from entering the skin.

• If you discover a tick on your little one's skin:

  • Remove it only with a tick remover, gripping it as close to the skin as possible and rotating the tool counterclockwise.

  • Do not remove the tick with your bare hands, and do not crush it with your fingers.

  • Once the tick is removed, clean the bite area with an antiseptic.

  • Monitor the bite. If, after two or three days, a circular red spot appears around the bite and enlarges, it is likely erythema migrans, a symptom of Lyme disease. You may notice other symptoms such as fever, fatigue, or pain at the bite site. Consult your pediatrician promptly for antibiotic treatment.

Causes :

• The nasal mucous membranes of very young children are fragile, supplied by tiny blood vessels, and are vulnerable to bleeding, which can be caused by blowing the nose too forcefully.

• Bleeding can also be triggered by a fall.

Symptoms:

• Nosebleeds can occur regularly or occasionally.

Measures to be taken:

• If nosebleeds occur less than once a week and last about ten minutes, they are not serious.

• Sit your little one down and tilt their head forward. Do not tilt their head backward, as blood could flow into their throat.

• Let the blood flow, then gently pinch their nostrils with two fingers for a few minutes.

• If, after more than fifteen minutes of pinching the nose, the bleeding continues, consult your pediatrician immediately or call 15.

• Once the bleeding stops, rinse your baby's nose with a little water.

• If bleeding is recurrent, talk to your pediatrician.

Causes :

As soon as your little one starts exploring the world on their own two feet, falls can happen.

Symptoms:

• Small bumps

• Some symptoms should be taken seriously: vomiting, drowsiness, headaches, whimpering, or crying. They may be signs of a concussion.

Measures to be taken:

• The first thing to do is to check their level of consciousness. A child who screams after a fall has not lost consciousness; comfort and reassure them. Then check for any bleeding.

• If it is a minor, harmless fall, apply a cold compress to the painful area.

• Your little one has hit their head:

  • If they are under six months old, go directly to the pediatric emergency room after assessing the situation. For example, if they have lost consciousness, are vomiting, or are agitated, call 15 immediately.

  • If they are over six months old, it is also recommended to go to the emergency room in the following cases: your little one has a large hematoma, facial injuries, or is agitated or irritable.

  • Consult your pediatrician if your little one is between six and twenty-four months old and shows no hematoma, injury, or any behavior suggesting a concussion (vomiting, drowsiness, etc.).

• Some symptoms may only appear 48 hours after the fall, so monitor your child, and if in doubt, do not hesitate to contact emergency services.

• If your child has fallen and you suspect a fracture, go to the emergency room or call SAMU at 15, depending on the severity. In case of severe pain, you can give them an analgesic such as paracetamol, with a dosage appropriate for them.

Causes :

The passage of a foreign body (food or small object) through the respiratory pathways (larynx and trachea) instead of the digestive pathway (esophagus).

Symptoms:

• Your child suddenly starts coughing, and you hear unusual sounds.

• They have difficulty breathing and turn red while crying.

Measures to be taken:

• If your child is coughing, their airways are partially blocked, and oxygen can still pass through. Your little one should be able to expel the foreign object on their own.

• Sit them on a chair and encourage them to cough. In this situation, do not pat their back, as it may dislodge the object and cause a complete obstruction.

• If your little one makes no sound and is not coughing, you must intervene as quickly as possible; this is a total airway obstruction. Their face may turn blue due to lack of oxygen. Stay calm and proceed as follows:

  • Sit on a chair, pick up your baby, and lay them face down on your forearm, keeping their head angled downward.

  • Hold them firmly and give five vigorous blows between the shoulder blades.

  • Then look inside their mouth to see if the foreign object has been dislodged. If it has been expelled from the airway, remove it gently.

  • If the obstructing object has not moved, turn your baby onto their back, with their head lower than their body. Perform five chest compressions using two fingers (index and middle) between the two nipples. Alternate back blows and chest compressions until the foreign body is expelled.

  • If your little one is over one year old and cannot expel the object, you can use the Heimlich maneuver. To do this, stand behind them and wrap your arms around them so that your hands are one over the other at their navel. Forcefully push your fists inward and upward. Repeat these thrusts until the foreign object is expelled.

• If your child expels the lodged object, do not hesitate to call 15 or consult your pediatrician to check on your little one's condition.

• If the clearing maneuvers are unsuccessful and your child loses consciousness, call 15 immediately. While waiting for emergency services, start CPR (mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions).

Causes :

The curiosity of little ones drives them to touch or put in their mouth everything they come across.

Symptoms:

• Numbness or muscle spasms

• Pain

• Headaches

• Breathing difficulties

• Cardiac arrhythmia

• Loss of consciousness, or even respiratory arrest

Measures to be taken:

• In the case of an electrical accident, quick intervention plays a crucial role in your child's outcome, so act as quickly as possible.

• Do not touch your child with bare hands until the power is cut off; they may still be in contact with the electrical source.

• If it is a low-voltage accident, unplug the device and turn off the power at the circuit breaker. If that is not possible, keep your little one away from the electrical source using a non-conductive object such as cardboard, plastic, or a piece of wood. You can also isolate yourself from the ground by stepping onto a non-conductive object.

• If it is a high-voltage accident, stay away from your little one. The current must be cut off by a professional.

• Anyone who has been electrocuted must be seen by emergency services; call SAMU at 15.

• If your little one loses consciousness, place them in the recovery position and monitor them. If they stop breathing, start CPR while waiting for emergency services.

Causes :

With a little one in full exploration, bumps and bruises can happen.

Symptoms:

• Scratches, abrasions, bleeding

• Bruises (blue)

• Superficial, or even deep, wounds

Measures to be taken:

• In the case of an abrasion, carefully wash your hands before touching the wound. Then clean the wound thoroughly with water and soap. Apply an antiseptic spray and, if possible, leave the wound open to the air.

• If it is a shallow cut, after stopping the bleeding and following the same steps as for a scrape, apply a bandage to bring the edges together.

• In the case of a deep wound that bleeds heavily, apply manual pressure, then consult emergency services or call SAMU at 15. Your little one may need stitches.

• Cool a bruise with lukewarm water. If it is painful, you can give your child an analgesic with a dosage appropriate for their age. In case of pain or significant bleeding, consult your pediatrician.

• In the case of a bite by an animal , immediately clean the wound with clear water and mild soap. Make sure to remove any dirt from the injury. Rinse, dry, and apply an antiseptic, then cover the wound with a sterile dressing. In case of heavy bleeding, apply pressure to the wound and seek emergency services. Monitor the wound's progress. Check your child's health record to ensure they are vaccinated against tetanus. If the vaccination is not up to date, consult your pediatrician within 48 hours of the bite.

Causes :

• Laryngitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx, often caused by a virus.

• It is more common in children, as their larynx is narrower than that of adults. Laryngitis usually affects very young children between one and five years old.

Symptoms:

• Symptoms usually develop gradually, often during the night. You may notice that your child has a hoarse voice and a hoarse, barking cough.

• It can also cause breathing difficulties, with wheezing during inhalation.

• Laryngitis can sometimes be accompanied by fever.

Measures to be taken:

• Even if it can be impressive, laryngitis is often harmless and heals easily. Its usual form can often be treated at home.

• If your child has symptoms of laryngitis, consult your doctor or pediatrician within 24 hours. If they are under six months old, have difficulty swallowing, or have a high fever above 39°C, take your little one to the pediatric emergency department or call SAMU at 15.

• If it is laryngitis, some care measures can improve comfort:

  • Clear their nose with saline solution and use disposable tissues.

  • Fever should subside within two or three days; treatment to reduce it may be recommended by your doctor. Follow the usual steps in case of fever .

  • If your little one is very uncomfortable, your doctor may prescribe a corticosteroid treatment to reduce swelling in the larynx.