photo credit: flickr/narith5

First things first… virtual first aid kits do you no good. Believe me, I’m first in line for parents who want to put together a gorgeously organized first aid kit, but only have a Ziploc bag with just a thermometer, band-aids, and Tylenol in it. So today, I’m committing to making the best baby first aid kits ever! I’m providing you my list, a little quirkier than your pre-packaged kits, but good…. really good.

Download: Baby’s First Aid Kit Checklist

There are so many baby first aid kits on the market right now which is great, but I look through them and mostly just see a lot of bandages! This first aid kit is built to answer the following question:

“What health emergencies are most likely to occur? What do I need to know and have on hand when they happen?”

FEVERS: Help, my baby’s burning up.

• A reliable digital thermometer (and petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to lubricate the tip). I always forget to pack this and now I own 3 of them. Throw your favorite rectoal, oral or ear thermometer in. Remember a rectal temp provides the most accurate reading, particularly in infants under 1 year.
• Your kit should include Infant Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Motrin (ibuprofen- give only if your baby is older than 6 months). Don’t give aspirin as it can cause liver failure in children with certain infections. I always put my liquid medication in a Ziploc baggie in case of leakage.

BLEEDING: Bring on the bandages!
This list should cover everything from a big fall (think control bleeding on the way to the Emergency Department fall) to a skinned knee. If the wound is large, you can use a t-shirt, a blanket or your hands to apply pressure to the wound.

• Small bottle of saline or water to rinse out a wound if there’s no sink in sight.

• Liquid soap or antiseptic wipes – It’s great to have these around to help clean out a cut when soap is not easily accessible. Travelling also involves lots of germs, so you may want to keep these handy just to keep those little fingers germ free.

• Antibiotic ointment (like Neosporin) – Babies have skin like Wolverine from the X-Men, and usually heals from cuts and scrapes overnight like magic. Sometimes, your baby will need a little extra love to keep scrapes and cuts getting infected and speed up the healing process. I usually use Neosporin.

• Sterile bandages and tape – Since wounds heal faster with air contact, gauze and tape are usually better options than cute band-aids. Here’s a suggested mix of bandages: 5 3×3” and 4×4” sterile gauze pads, 1 roll of adhesive paper tape, a 3” or 4” roller bandage, and a variety of small adhesive bandages.

For more baby first aid items and essentials, click here

Related articles:

• Packing for Baby without Bringing the Nursery
• Travel Toy Recommendations for Babies and Toddlers
• Baby Air Travel: Intro to Flying

Esther Lee and Tara Summers Hermann are contributing authors here at trekaroo