Cuts and Stitches

When our kids first start to walk, it is such an exciting time, but it can also be a little scary because they are so wobbly. When my little boy started walking, he got a little too confident and fell right into the corner of my coffee table. I was terrified at first because the cut was directly above his eye and right below his eyebrow. As a mom seeing blood on your child never makes you feel good, but I was very concerned that I needed to take him to get stitches.

When your child is injured, make sure that you comfort them and let them know that you will be there to take care of them.

The first thing that you want to do when your child has a cut is apply pressure to the area. If the blood soaks through the cloth, do not remove it; just apply another cloth over top of it. Removing the original cloth from the cut can actually “pull off” the clotted blood and will cause the bleeding to start again.

If the cut is on one of the arms or legs, elevation of the extremity will help to reduce the flow of blood and decrease bleeding.

Once you’ve applied pressure to the site for 5-10 minutes and the bleeding has stopped, remove the cloth. It may start to bleed slightly again and if it does, just apply pressure again.

Try to clean up the cut with use of some luke-warm water to get out any dirt or debris. You may have to use some tweezers to get small pieces.

If you cannot get bleeding to stop with these methods, contact your pediatrician.

If the child has a puncture wound, do not remove object. Secure object with cloths and take your child to the ER.

Stitches for cuts are used mainly to hold skin and underlying tissue together so that they will heal properly. If the skin and/or underlying tissue do not stay together on their own or if there is a jagged, or deep wound it will most likely need stitches and this should be taken care of immediately. If there is any numbness this would also indicate the need for an immediate visit. If you ever have any questions about a cut that you think may need stitches, a visit to a physician is strongly advised. Cuts can become infected if not cleaned and taken care of properly. Your doctor also may strongly suggest a tetanus shot if your child hasn't had one in over 5 years.

For more information, please visit http://firstaid.webmd.com/treating-cuts-and-bleeding-in-children

For more information about stitches you can visit http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/getting-stitches-and-caring-for-stitches