What first aid items should I have on hand at home?

A well-stocked home medicine cabinet should include the following items:

• Small and medium sized band-aids.
• Medium and large sized gauze pads.
• A roll of clean gauze.
• A heating pad.
• A digital thermometer.
• A freezable ice pack.
• Sunscreen (at least SPF 15).
• Insect repellent (DEET free is best. See our information page on insect repellent.)
• A pair of small tweezers.
• Small, curved fingernail scissors.
• A rubber bulb syringe.

As far as medications for the medicine cabinet, we recommend having the following:

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol), in liquid or pill form, depending on the age of your children. Also consider having a few suppositories, since these are handy when children have fever and vomiting.
• Ibuprofen (Advil), in liquid or pill form.
• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), in liquid or pill form.
• Hydrocortisone 1% cream or ointment.
• Antibacterial ointment (such as Neosporin.)
• Nasal saline drops.

Tips for your kit:

• We recommend going through your medicine cabinet every 3-4 months and throwing away any medications that have expired. (Be sure to throw them away in such a manner that your young children won't find them and eat them!)
• You can put your kit in a plastic box or tackle box and take it with you on trips as well. Being prepared beats looking for children's Tylenol at 10 pm in a strange town (and paying high gas station prices.)