Parents gave their convulsing child boiled water and sent him directly to the ICU

Recently, the pediatric ward of Wenzhou People's Hospital admitted a several-month-old child with convulsions. During the physical examination, the nurse found that the child had several blisters on his forehead, under his nostrils, and on the base of his hands. After asking the child's parents, they learned that after the child had a convulsion, his grandmother used a burning tissue to stimulate the child, trying to restore his consciousness in this way. This is an extremely dangerous behavior. The burning tissue may burn the child's skin and cause more serious injuries.

Before this, I also saw a parent who gave his child boiled water in a hurry after his child had a convulsion, hoping to make the child wake up, but he did not expect to send the child directly to the ICU. Others will try every means to pry open the mouth of a convulsed child, or put their fingers into the child's mouth, or press hard on the child's limbs, thinking that this will restore the child's consciousness. In fact, these actions will cause more serious harm to the child, or hurt the parents themselves.

Fever is a "distress signal" sent by the child's body, and it also has an "additional feature" that makes parents particularly worried - when the child's fever reaches a certain level, convulsions may ensue. Convulsions, which we often call "convulsions" and "cramps", are manifested by the child's sudden loss of consciousness, eyes rolling up, staring or squinting, facial and limb muscle tonic or clonic convulsions, and may be accompanied by foaming at the mouth, respiratory arrest and other symptoms. This scene often terrifies parents, and some parents may take some wrong first aid measures out of panic, causing greater harm to their children. So, what should we do when a child has a convulsion at home?

First of all, it is crucial to stay calm. Parents' calmness can avoid panic and buy the best time to properly deal with their children's convulsions. Panic will only make the situation worse.

Next, quickly let the child lie on his side. Lying on his side can prevent vomitus from blocking the airway and avoid the risk of suffocation. If the child lies on his back, once vomiting occurs, vomitus may flow back into the trachea, with disastrous consequences. After lying the child on his side, make sure the child's airway is unobstructed and clean up the secretions in the child's mouth and nose in time, such as sputum, vomitus, etc. Do not try to forcibly restrain the child's body. During convulsions, the child's limbs may twitch uncontrollably, and forced restraints may cause fractures or dislocations in the child. What we can do is to remove objects around the child that may cause harm, such as sharp table corners, hard toys, etc., to create a safe space for the child. Don't put anything in the child's mouth. In the past, there was a misconception that children would bite their tongues during convulsions, so spoons, chopsticks and other items should be stuffed into their mouths. But in fact, this practice not only cannot prevent children from biting their tongues, but may also damage their teeth and mouths, and even cause suffocation. It is rare for children to bite their tongues during convulsions, and even if they do, it generally does not cause serious harm, so never put anything in a child's mouth.

Seizures usually do not last long and usually stop on their own within tens of seconds to a few minutes. If the child is still not awake after the seizure stops, or if the seizures occur repeatedly, call 120 immediately for help from professional medical personnel. While waiting for the ambulance, continue to observe the child's breathing and complexion to ensure that the child's vital signs are stable.

I hope every parent can remember this knowledge and handle it calmly and correctly when their child has a convulsion to minimize harm to the child.

Xue Sujing, head nurse of the pediatric department of Wenzhou People's Hospital