Scary Emergency Situations at Daycare Require Immediate Attention
A parent’s worst nightmare is getting a call from their child’s daycare saying they need to come get their kid immediately. Even worse is when the daycare doesn’t tell a parent about a significant medical emergency involving their kid, and the parent finds out about it at pickup. Today, we’re going to discuss the most common medical emergency situations we’ve seen as daycare injury lawyers and what steps daycares should be taking to keep kids safe. There are minimum standards for how daycares need to respond after a child suffers a medical emergency. A medical emergency at a daycare means that a child has sustained an injury that could be serious. How caregivers and daycare directors respond during medical emergencies is essential to keeping children safe and healthy.
Allergic Reactions at Texas Daycares
First, one of the most common emergencies we see are allergic reactions.
If your child suffers from an allergy to a food or other substance, the daycare must be put on written notice of the allergy. An individual emergency allergy plan should be in place in the event your child is exposed to something they are allergic to.
Daycares are required to follow the steps outlined in the child’s allergy emergency plan, which often include steps like administering an EpiPen, calling 911, or taking the child to the emergency room right away. After medical help is sought, parents must be notified immediately.
Emergency Situations Involving Physical Trauma
The second most common reason we see for medical emergencies is physical trauma. Physical injuries can be caused by a variety of events. But no matter what the cause, daycares are required to act to prevent further harm.
Scenarios might include:
- Brain injuries from shaken baby syndrome,
- skull fractures from falls off changing tables,
- or finger-severing incidents when fingers get caught in doors.
These must be dealt with immediately, as time can be a major factor in making the best recovery possible.
Serious Burn Injuries at Texas Daycares
Finally – and this one may come as a surprise to parents – we often see medical emergencies caused by burns. Kids at daycare are unfortunately prone to burn injuries from a variety of things, including chemicals and bottle warmers. Burns can cause lasting damage to the skin and body – it’s essential that burns are treated as soon as possible. 3rd-degree burns may not be felt immediately as nerve endings are usually destroyed by the burn; however, if caregivers see signs of a serious burn injury, they need to get the child to a hospital quickly.
Caregivers should not attempt to treat burns on their own – it’s essential that medical professionals get involved. If your child suffers a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment, daycares are required, by law, to notify the parents.
Sadly, we’ve seen a lot of daycares try to cover up these incidents by:
- not calling emergency medical services,
- failing to notify parents,
- and causing irreversible and lasting damage to the children involved.
Emergency situations involving children can be terrifying – especially when they happen at daycare. However, caregivers should be trained professionals who know what steps to take if these incidents happen to your child. They must ensure everything is being done to keep your child safe.
If your child was seriously injured at daycare and the daycare did not take the proper steps to get your child help, you may be able to bring a claim against them. If you want to learn more about what steps you can take after your child is injured at daycare, download our free 5-step guide on what to do after a daycare injury, linked here. And don’t hesitate to contact our daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm to start getting help today. We’re here to keep you and your family moving forward.
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