What should you pack in a baby’s first-aid kit? Attached: a “travel-sized first-aid kit” checklist

Baby Travel First-Aid Kit:

? Motion sickness medication: such as dimenhydrinate (suitable for children over 2 years old);

? Fever, cold, and cough: Tylenol/Motrin, Mucosolvan, saline nasal spray, etc.;

Skin care: diaper rash cream, calamine lotion, moisturizer, sunscreen, insect repellent;

? Relieving constipation: glycerin suppositories;

? Treating diarrhea: oral rehydration salts, probiotics;

? Treating minor injuries: iodine, band-aids, cotton swabs, etc.

Besides traveling, it’s actually a good idea to keep a “home first-aid kit” at home too. The purpose of a baby first-aid kit is mainly to manage common issues such as minor injuries, fever, cold (stuffy nose), diarrhea, and insect bites.

Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen

The No. 1 essential medicine for babies and toddlers!

If your baby feels hot all over, you’ll immediately know they have a fever! Usually, an ear temperature above 38°C is considered a fever. If it goes over 38.5°C and the child seems unwell, you can give them fever-reducing medicine and make sure they drink plenty of water to help with absorption and metabolism.

- Acetaminophen: suitable for children as young as 3 months old, repeat every 4–6 hours, no more than 4 times a day;

- Ibuprofen: suitable for children as young as 6 months old, repeat every 6–8 hours, no more than 4 times a day, and be sure to choose the infant formulation.

Common brands include Motrin (ibuprofen) and Tylenol (acetaminophen).

Saline nasal spray, nasal aspirator

What? No medicine for colds? Actually, having a cold is a process of “who can be more patient.” Viral colds can’t be shortened by medication—the illness lasts 5–7 days no matter what.

Babies aren’t just small adults. Their organs like the liver and kidneys are not fully developed, and their ability to metabolize drugs is relatively weak. Therefore, the U.S. FDA prohibits the use of cold medicine for children under 2, does not recommend it for those under 4, and only allows it for ages 4–6 under a doctor’s guidance. (Is overseas cold medicine reliable?)

You can just use saline nasal spray to relieve stuffy nose and runny nose symptoms. It moistens the nasal passages and thins the mucus so it flows out more easily. Then help your baby who can’t blow their nose by sucking out the mucus and cleaning the nasal passages in time~~

• For babies under 6 months, you can use a dropper or a small cotton swab to apply drops into the nasal passages to provide moisture.

• For babies over 6 months, you can directly use a dedicated saline nasal spray.

Common brands include Rhinocort (recommended by reliable ENT doctors in top-tier hospitals, with a well-designed nozzle and proven clinical effectiveness!).

I bought a mouth-powered nasal aspirator from Ikang, which I personally find easy to use, affordable, and great value. It’s even available for 9.9 yuan with free shipping during sales!

(I’m basically advertising for them for free again = =)

Ambroxol Hydrochloride, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide

Coughing is the most common respiratory discomfort symptom. It’s the body’s way of actively expelling foreign objects, viruses, and bacteria. Colds, asthma, bronchiolitis, influenza, or pneumonia can all cause coughing. (Coughing does not cause pneumonia!)

If your baby has a productive cough with phlegm, use ambroxol hydrochloride to help expel mucus from the body, relieve phlegm, and suppress coughing.

Common options include Mucosolvan (a domestic brand is fine~~).

If it’s an irritating dry cough, cough suppressants that act on the cough center are generally used. The only over-the-counter option is dextromethorphan hydrobromide—choose the syrup formulation.

Here, Mama Ca suggests not buying medication on your own but consulting a professional doctor at the hospital.

But no matter the cause, increasing fluid intake and drinking more water can help.

*For babies under 2 months old, coughing must be evaluated at the hospital.

Cold vs. Pneumonia

The latest edition of "Caring for Your Baby and Young Child" (p.536) states that if a child has a cold, their cough may sound wet (due to phlegm or throat congestion) or be an irritating dry cough. If accompanied by fever and breathing difficulties (such as breathing too fast, too slow, with wheezing, or inward pulling between the ribs and around the chest), it could be pneumonia, and you should immediately notify a doctor.

Oral rehydration salts, smectite powder, probiotics, and zinc supplements

Rehydration Salts

The most important thing in diarrhea is to prevent dehydration and avoid electrolyte imbalance caused by “excessive loss,” by promptly replenishing water and electrolytes.

Common brands include Boye.

Smectite Powder

The process of diarrhea is actually the body’s way of expelling bacteria and viruses. Blindly stopping diarrhea may keep these harmful substances inside your baby’s body, which is counterproductive. Smectite powder can adsorb bacterial toxins in the intestines and form a protective layer. However, unlike strong anti-diarrheal medications that stop diarrhea immediately, it only shortens the duration (but beware of taking too much and getting constipated...).

Common brands include Bique, Smecta, and Kentering.

Probiotics

During diarrhea, normal beneficial gut bacteria can also be lost, so it’s important to replenish probiotics promptly to restore gut flora balance. It shows significant effectiveness in treating watery diarrhea caused by viral infections. For antibiotic-associated diarrhea, Saccharomyces boulardii is recommended.

Common medicinal probiotic brands include Pifikon, Zhengchangsheng, Yihuo, and Mamiai; there are also well-known health supplement probiotics online such as Culturelle, BioGaia, and Wawanutrition.

Zinc Supplements

If diarrhea is severe, zinc loss increases, leading to a negative zinc balance. Studies show that zinc supplementation helps improve clinical outcomes in both acute and chronic diarrhea and reduces recurrence.

For infants under 6 months, supplement 10 mg of zinc daily; for those over 6 months, supplement 20 mg daily for 10–14 days. Both zinc sulfate and zinc gluconate are suitable—no need to worry too much as long as the zinc content is adequate.

Common brands include Sanjing Zinc Gluconate Oral Solution and Harbin Pharmaceutical Zinc Sulfate Oral Solution.

Glycerin suppositories, lactulose

The main ingredient in glycerin suppositories is glycerin. It’s a relatively safe laxative that works by being administered rectally to lubricate the intestines and stimulate the defecation reflex. Its ingredients are safe, and short-term use isn’t a problem—but long-term reliance may lead to drug dependence. Without strong stimulation, your baby may become unwilling to push on their own...

Common brands include Xilong (a 10ml version for babies is sufficient).

Lactulose is a synthetic, non-absorbable disaccharide with high osmotic properties that helps retain water and electrolytes in the intestines. It’s non-irritating and can be used to treat chronic constipation.

Common brands include Duphalac and Lactulax.

Moisturizer, calamine lotion, erythromycin eye ointment

The most common issues babies face are dryness and eczema—actually, a single tub of moisturizer can solve them all. Plus, calamine lotion is an inexpensive and incredibly useful remedy. Whether it's mosquito bites, heat rash, diaper rash, or unexplained itching, calamine lotion can help relieve the discomfort.

If your baby has diaper rash or minor skin wounds from other causes, you can use erythromycin eye ointment for simple treatment. Nursing moms with cracked or wounded nipples can also use it.

Iodine tincture-free antiseptic (Povidone-Iodine), band-aids

Povidone-Iodine doesn’t contain alcohol, so it won’t sting when applied to wounds, making it great for disinfecting the umbilical cord or minor injuries. As for band-aids, well, no introduction needed—they’re a must-have in every household.

• Regularly clean out your mini medicine kit and dispose of expired medications.

• Keep it out of children’s reach to prevent accidental ingestion.

• Read the instructions carefully!!!

• In any situation where you're unsure, please go to the hospital promptly.

Finally, here’s a one-sentence summary of what I don’t recommend preparing: antibiotics, traditional Chinese patent medicines, compound cold medicines, and various overseas-purchased medications.