Kids' First Aid Kit Checklist for Home, Car and Diaper Bag

Why bother

• With a kit in one known place, any caregiver can handle the everyday stuff (splinters, scrapes, a fever at 2 am) without hunting through drawers.
• Keep the kit up high and closed, since it holds medicine. Tell sitters and grandparents where it is.

The basics

• Adhesive bandages in several sizes, gauze pads, a roll of gauze, and paper or cloth tape.
• Nonstick dressings and plastic wrap for burns.
• Fine-tipped tweezers (splinters and ticks), small blunt scissors, and a few safety pins.
• Disposable gloves.
• An instant cold pack, or keep a bag of frozen peas in the freezer.
• Petroleum jelly, which works well for scrapes, chafing and nosebleed prevention.
• Hydrocortisone cream and calamine lotion for itchy bites and rashes (check the label for minimum ages).
• Saline drops and a nasal bulb or aspirator.
• A digital thermometer. Rectal is most accurate under about 3 months; forehead or underarm work for checks in older kids.
• Oral rehydration solution packets or bottles.

Medicines to ask about

• Fever and pain relievers for your child's age, each with its own syringe. Dose by weight from the package or your pediatrician; see the medicine safety guide.
• An antihistamine your pediatrician has OK'd for allergic reactions.
• Any prescribed epinephrine auto-injector or inhaler, with a spare where your child spends time.
• Leave out syrup of ipecac; it's no longer recommended.

Information card

• Your pediatrician's office and after-hours numbers, Poison Control (1-800-222-1222), and 911.
• Your child's weight (updated), allergies, medicines and conditions.
• A second emergency contact and, for co-parents, both households' numbers.
• In multilingual families, write key phrases in the language the sitter reads best.

Car and diaper bag versions

• A small pouch: bandages, gauze, wipes, gloves, tweezers, a cold pack, a dosing syringe, and the information card.
• Add sunscreen, insect repellent and a water bottle for outings.
• Don't store liquid medicine in a hot car; it can break down.

Keeping it ready

• Check the kit twice a year, for example when clocks change. Replace expired items and update your child's weight.
• Restock right after you use something.
• Supplies are only half of it. An infant and child CPR and first aid class teaches the rest; see the choking and CPR guide.

When to check in

• Bring your kit list to a checkup and ask what to add for your child's needs.
• Review asthma or allergy action plans at least yearly.
• If your child has a severe allergic reaction, use epinephrine if prescribed and call 911.