What to do if a child has an allergic reaction at child care
Young children can have many different allergies to different things.
Some common allergies are to:
Dairy foods
Nuts
Eggs
Seafood
Insect stings
Medications
Latex (rubber) eg: rubber gloves
Other food intolerances like gluten, wheat, kiwi fruit
Some signs of a mild or moderate allergic reaction are:
Tingling of the mouth
Hives, welts or redness (rash)
Swollen lips, face or eyes
Vomiting
Sore tummy
Usually these allergies are not life threatening. Allergies are managed by making sure the children do not eat or come in contact with the things that they are allergic to. Child Care centres usually have strict “No Nuts” policies and other policies to manage allergies.
Anaphylaxis though is when a child has a severe allergic reaction and this is life threatening (the child could die) if they don’t get the right treatment. This is because when they have an anaphylactic reaction, they cannot breathe properly.
Some signs of anaphylaxis are:
Difficulty or noisy breathing
Swelling of the tongue
Swelling or tightness in the throat
Difficulty talking
Wheezing or coughing
Loss of consciousness or collapsing
Similar to Asthma, if a child has an allergy or is anaphylactic, they will have an Allergy/Anaphylaxis Management Plan that you have to follow if a child has an allergic reaction. If they are just allergic, you might have to give them some medicine like claratyne.
If they are anaphylactic, they have a little bag with an EpiPen in there. This is an injector machine that delivers adrenaline which helps the child to breathe properly again.
You will learn how to use an Epi Pen in your First Aid Course one day but basically you have to inject the child in the thigh with the machine. Then you have to call the ambulance and hand the epipen you used to the paramedics.
You must always call the parents and write a report, unless your supervisor is there.
TASK: Does anyone in the Dolphin room have anaphylaxis or allergies? What type of allergies do they have? Do some research on NUT allergies on the interenet and answer these questions with the help of your coach:
· What are the signs of a nut allergy?
· What kind of nuts can cause allergies?
· Apart from allergies, why else do you think nuts are not allowed in child care centres and schools?
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