Burns

Soak the burned area in cool water for at least twenty minutes or until the pain fades. You can hold the burn under cold running water or put ice and cold water in a bowl. Don't use ice alone; it can increase the damage to the skin. Do not put butter or other greases on a burn — they'll trap the heat and make it worse. And don't pop any blisters that develop; just cover them with a bandage.

Redness and a slight swelling are signs of a first-degree burn (the least serious); blistering and significant swelling indicate a second-degree burn; areas that seem white or charred indicate a third-degree burn. If you suspect a second or third degree burn, see a doctor immediately.

Poison Ingestion

Take away the poisonous substance, if your child is still holding any, and remove any left in his mouth with your fingers. Keep anything that you remove for later analysis. Check for severe throat irritation, drooling, breathing problems, sleepiness, or convulsions. If you see any of these symptoms, call an ambulance. If not, call your local poison control center. They may tell you to induce vomiting by administering ipecac. Do not give your baby ipecac without checking with poison control; some poisons can do more damage when vomiting is induced.

Or you may be told to neutralize the poison with a glass of milk or activated charcoal. (This processed charcoal is available in natural food stores and some pharmacies. It binds to most poisons and allows them to be excreted harmlessly. A standard dosage is eight to ten times the amount of poison ingested, mixed with water to administer. There are no known risks to taking it, but check with poison control in case it does not bind with the type of poison you're dealing with.)

Tick Bite

The faster you get the tick off, the less likely your baby is to get a tick-borne disease. Clean the area with alcohol if it's available, water if it's not. If you have nothing to clean with, skip this step. Pull the tick straight up from the skin using your fingers (tweezers are more likely to break the tick, leaving part embedded).

Save the tick in case you need to bring it to a doctor. Mark the bite with a pen, and watch the area for a few days for a bull's-eye-shaped rash. This rash indicates Lyme disease, for which your baby will be treated with antibiotics. You should also watch for signs of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (rash on hands and soles of feet, fever).

Sand in the Eye

Try to keep your baby from rubbing his eye, but otherwise do nothing; tears will usually wash out the sand. If not, you can help them by washing the eye with a saline solution. If nothing you do seems to work, call your doctor.

Bee Sting

If the stinger is visible, try to remove it by scraping across the skin with a credit card. Do not squeeze it. Wash the area with soap and water and apply an ice pack to reduce swelling. You can also counteract some of the effects of the venom by dabbing the area with diluted ammonia (the kind you use for cleaning), sprinkling it with meat tenderizer, or spreading it with a paste of baking soda and water. If your baby has a severe reaction — swelling that extends far beyond the site of the sting, a rapid heartbeat, clammy skin, hives, or trouble breathing, call 911.

Sunburn

If you're like most people, your first reaction to your baby's sunburn will be guilt. “Oh, how can I have forgotten to put lotion on? Why did we stay at the park all afternoon? Why didn't I go home when I realized I forgot his hat?” After you're done beating yourself up about this, give your baby a bath in cool water or soak some washcloths in water and lay them over the burned area. After he's dry, spread aloe (100 percent) on the burned area.

Or soak your baby in a lukewarm bath with either a quarter cup of baking soda or a cup of comfrey tea (comfrey reduces swelling). Give him some ibuprofen or aspirin (if there are no fever or cold symptoms). If the sunburn blisters, if your baby gets a fever or chills, or if he seems very sick, call the doctor.

Cuts

Stop the bleeding by applying pressure directly to the cut. If the cut “smiles” (the edges gap apart farther in the middle than on the ends), is deep, or may have dirt or glass stuck inside, see a doctor. Wash it thoroughly with soap and water, apply an antibiotic ointment, and put on a Band-Aid. If the cut isn't particularly deep or long, it will probably stay closed on its own. Or you can bring the edges together and fasten with a butterfly bandage or Steri-Strip before covering it with a regular Band-Aid.

Splinters

Wash the area with soap and water. If the splinter protrudes, stick a piece of tape over it and pull the tape off — the splinter may come off with the tape. Still stuck? Move on to the tweezers.

If the splinter is embedded, soak the area for ten minutes, wipe with an antiseptic, then numb the skin with ice or a local anesthetic intended for teething — like baby Orajel or Anbesol. Sterilize a sewing needle by holding it in a flame for a few seconds (make sure to wipe off any carbon on the needle) or dipping it in alcohol. Then gently, using the tip of the needle, try to tease the splinter out. If it's still stuck, try again after your baby's bath.

Don't poke around for more than five minutes; it's unlikely you'll remove the splinter and you may damage your baby's skin. You can also try gently rubbing the skin over the splinter with a pumice stone — if you take away a thin layer of skin, the splinter may be easier to grab. Call your doctor if it is deeply embedded, is glass or metal and you can't get it all out, or the area becomes infected.

Bug Bites

These are not a major deal for most babies, and usually look worse than they feel. If your baby seems itchy, put ice, cortisone cream, or a paste of baking soda and water on the bite. If the itching doesn't seem to stop, or the area keeps swelling, call your doctor, who may prescribe an antihistamine.

Scrapes

Run cold water over the scrape and wash it with soap. Pat it dry with a clean cloth, dab with antiseptic cream, and bandage. Go to the doctor if the scrape is deep, bleeding heavily, embedded with gravel or dirt, or if later you see increasing redness or pus.