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The life of a child with illness and medical conditions can be difficult. That’s not to say that a child’s life can’t be fun, but there’s more that needs to be considered on a daily basis. Whether they have childhood diabetes, a seizure disorder, a heart complication or autism, there are potential complications that need to be kept in mind whenever leaving the house.
How do you protect your child when you’re not around? Medical alert bracelets are a great way to care for your child. Kids’ medical alert bracelets provide your child with basic protection when out in public places, as they inform others — other children and considerate adults — about their medical conditions.
But what makes them so great? Here’s a few reasons why they’re so important.
Why Medical Bracelets?
The thing that makes medical bracelets so great is that they allow you to carry your medical information with you everywhere you go. This is excellent for children, especially those who might forget the specific names for their medical conditions or struggle with speaking with strangers about personal, sensitive information.
But there’s another layer that makes them especially perfect. Medical alert bracelets provide relevant information to medical professionals.
For instance, your child has a medical emergency while they’re at a friend’s home, at school or on a school field trip. Unfortunately, the adults in attendance — those watching over your child — have forgotten your child’s medical history.
This poses a problem. EMTs are bound to be called to provide medical assistance to your child, but they won’t know what the exact problem is, except for the fact that your child had an emergency — e.g., they passed out, they’re unable to breathe, they’ve stopped speaking.
A medical alert bracelet allows your child to keep their medical history right on their wrist. In the event of a medical emergency and EMTs arriving, they’ll be able to clearly read your child’s medical conditions, thanks to their medical alert bracelet.
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How Do Medical Alert Bracelets Help?
As mentioned, the benefit of a medical alert bracelet is that it provides protection in the event of an emergency, providing relevant medical information to medical professionals. That information is imperative, as it allows medical professionals to act accordingly, providing care exactly as needed.
The thing that makes them so relevant is that they provide specific medical information, which helps EMTs and doctors provide medical care while informed. For instance, diabetic bracelets are great because they will openly tell whether a person has type 1 or 2 diabetes.
Consider this: Your child is not wearing a medical alert bracelet. They pass out and become incoherent, and no adults around them know of their medical condition. EMTs are called. They hear that your child passed out and they are incoherent. No one mentions diabetes, so the EMTs begin providing care without the awareness of diabetes.
If the EMTs know your child has diabetes, that changes their entire approach. They’ll begin providing care based on that information.
What Should You Engrave on Your Child’s Bracelet?
There are some basics you should have engraved on your child’s medical ID bracelet. Some of these include:
- Your child’s name
- Your personal information: name, phone number, address
- A secondary contact name and number
- Your child’s medical condition
- Allergies
- Medications they take
If your child has multiple medical conditions, you can fit them all on their bracelet by using medical abbreviations. These ensure that the conditions are still relevant to medical professionals while not taking up too much space. Examples include:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder: ASD
- Cerebral Palsy: CP
- Allergies: BEES, NUTS, SHELLFISH
- Penicillin: PCN
- Hydrocortisone: HC
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Why Your Child Should Wear a Medical Alert Bracelet
Your child should always wear a medical alert bracelet to ensure they have their medical history on them at all times. General medical alert bracelets to diabetic bracelets can protect your child in the event of a medical emergency, providing EMTs with relevant information when they need it most.
Don’t take any chances. Ensure your child can effectively communicate their medical history at all times, thanks to a medical ID bracelet.
