Treat abrasions and cuts
Abrasions and cuts hurt children, but in most cases they are harmless. They often heal quickly and scars usually do not remain. Nevertheless, you should make sure that the cut heals cleanly to avoid inflammation.
Even if you have meticulously stowed away all sharp objects in the house and made your home childproof, your child can still get cuts from time to time. Sometimes an open tin can or a shard of glass lying around outside is all it takes. You can’t always protect your child from falls. But there are a few methods to treat such abrasions and cuts quickly and easily.
Index
ToggleTreat small cuts
You don’t have to worry about small cuts. They do not require any special treatment. Bleeding flushes out germs and bacteria and they usually heal within a few days in the air. Therefore, do not wipe away the blood near the cut. If your child wants a patch, make sure it is air permeable.
What to do with a dirty abrasion or cut?
- Clean: First, the wound must be cleaned of all foreign objects (e.g. splinters or small stones). You can use tweezers for this.
- Rinsing: The cut should be rinsed out with tap or mineral water. Both are almost germ-free and ideally suited. Only a clean wound can heal successfully.
- Disinfect: After cleaning with water, you can disinfect the wound. Avoid alcohol-based products, as they burn badly and torment your child unnecessarily. Iodine-based disinfectants are more suitable, except in the case of iodine intolerance. Use the remedies as sparingly as possible, as they tend to counteract the natural wound healing processes.
- Bandage: You can then stick a plaster on the cut or apply a sterile bandage.
When to go to the doctor with a cut?
In most cases, such injuries are quite harmless. However, there are situations in which you would rather leave the doctoring to a professional. You need to see a doctor in the following cases:
- In case of heavy bleeding
- For eye injuries
- For severely gaping wounds or deep cuts
- If larger foreign objects are stuck in the cut (do not remove them yourself!)
- When the first signs of wound infection appear (severe pain, increasing swelling and redness)
- When symptoms such as fever and chills occur
- If it has been more than five years since the last tetanus shot
Tetanus vaccination for prevention
Especially with children you should always make sure that the tetanus vaccination is regularly refreshed. They are often outside, especially from the age of four, and many small accidents can happen while playing. You should also have a tetanus vaccination beforehand. Because safe is safe.