How to properly treat a child’s abrasions, as well as scratches and other minor skin injuries. A child has a weeping wound after a fall - how to treat the abrasion and what to treat it with? How to treat a child's wound after a fall

Summer holidays are a “hot” time not only for children’s joys and mischief, but also, as a result, for all kinds of abrasions, scratches and cuts. How to properly treat a child's abrasions? And in what situations is a pediatrician's eye on minor skin lesions vital?

Not a single child, who has barely learned to run briskly, jump and climb, as well as squeeze all living creatures passing by, can do (especially in the summer!) without abrasions, scratches, scraped knees and small cuts. And for parents in such a situation, it is important not only to know the rules for sanitizing the affected areas of the skin, but also in what cases with these abrasions, scratches and wounds it is risky to sit at home, and it would be advisable to see a doctor.

What wounds and abrasions in a child should be shown to a doctor?

Before you start treating a scratch, bite, abrasion or small cuts on a crying baby, you need to evaluate whether it is worth bothering the doctor with such a “minor” problem, or whether you can handle it yourself.

Indeed, there is a small list of minor childhood injuries (we are talking specifically about skin injuries), which are not enough to treat and treat on your own, but you need to seek the help of doctors. Such injuries include:

lacerations and abrasions;
scratches, abrasions and wounds on the child’s face;
a wound (or wounds), the edges of which are more than 7 mm apart from each other;
a wound (or wounds) whose length exceeds 2 cm (in this case, as in the previous one, you will most likely have to put stitches on the wound, and this should be done by a physician);
a wound that bleeds for more than half an hour and cannot be stopped;
a wound or abrasion in a child that shows signs of suppuration;
the wound, the area around which is very red, hot and swollen;
damage to the skin that causes severe pain to the child (this may also be because pieces of glass, stones, etc. got into the wound);
(especially wild and homeless).

Abrasions and wounds of “animal origin” are especially dangerous for children. Bites and scratches from animals (especially wild and stray ones) threaten children's health not only because they can transmit rabies to the baby - one of the most terrible and dangerous infectious diseases.

There are a lot of other misfortunes. For example, cat scratches, even the tiniest and most insignificant ones, often cause a disease in children called felinosis (in the medical lexicon it is often called “cat scratch disease”). This is an extremely unpleasant bacterial “sore”, which then has to be treated long and tediously with antibiotics. And all thanks to the fact that specific microbes “live” on the claws of even the cutest, fluffiest and most harmless kittens...

So, make it a rule: if the baby received his “injuries” (even the most minor ones) during a “fight” with an animal, it is better to play it safe and show the child to the doctor.

But if the damage to the baby’s skin does not fit into the specified list, you can safely treat the wounds yourself and let the “tomboy” run, jump and gallop “free” again.

How to properly treat minor injuries on a child's skin

Skinned elbows, bruised knees, as well as other minor abrasions and wounds on a child’s skin - if they do not require special examination (see the list above) - are “expected” from adults by standard (essentially simple!) sanitary treatment, the most important and the very first stage of which is washing.

Strictly speaking, if you quickly and correctly wash your baby’s “battle” scratches, then in most cases you don’t have to do anything else - he “has the right” to run and jump merrily again in the fresh air, which will quickly dry out the damaged skin and form a natural layer on the wounds. protective scab.

How to properly wash abrasions and other minor skin injuries in a child

Ideally, any scratch (even one that you are later “lucky” to show to the doctor because, for example, it is too large, or it is on a child’s face, or it appeared as a result of the bite of a neighbor’s Mukhtar) must be washed with a soapy solution under running water. Moreover, it should be washed long enough and thoroughly - no matter how the baby protests! Necessary:

place the damaged area of skin under running lukewarm water;
then soap it properly (it’s better to use liquid soap - less pain);
Thoroughly rinse off the soap suds.

As you can see, there is little wisdom! But, as you know, we are not always surrounded by ideal conditions - we may not have soap or running water from the tap at hand.

So, if you have neither one nor the other, just take a clean handkerchief or a clean napkin (preferably a damp one, or even better, a special antiseptic/antibacterial one) and cover the abrasion or wound with it. And do not remove it from the damaged area until you finally get to a washbasin with running water and soap.

In pharmacies you can often find special sprays (outwardly they look like cans of thermal water) for disinfecting and washing minor abrasions in children and wounds - so they can easily replace the soap and water that are not available nearby.

Such sprays are simply irreplaceable on the road. Another alternative option for emergency washing of wounds is to take a small bottle of liquid soap with you on the road. Just add a few drops of regular liquid soap to a bottle of any sparkling water, shake lightly, and within 1 minute you will have in your hands the ideal solution for washing any childhood abrasions and wounds.

After you have washed your child's wound or abrasion, you need to dry the area - just blot it with a clean handkerchief, napkin, towel or any cloth.

In principle, if the wound is not large at all, does not bleed and does not cause discomfort or pain to the baby, you don’t have to bother it anymore. But if your parental conscience will not be calmed by such little care as a banal rinse, you can treat the damaged skin with a disinfectant.

How to choose the right disinfectant for wounds and abrasions in a child

Ideal disinfectants exist and there are quite a few of them. And to purchase one at a pharmacy, you need to know three main criteria:

1 The product should not burn the skin and cause additional pain to the baby.

Archaic brilliant green and iodine for treating children's wounds and abrasions are suitable only if in this way you want to punish the child for mischief and sluggishness - well, they say, you got hurt, so now sit, cry and endure while I “injure” you. I'll cauterize it properly with iodine or brilliant green...

But if you don’t want to add pain to your baby, forget about brilliant green and iodine; in the arsenal of modern pharmaceuticals there are many effective and painless disinfectant analogues.

2 The product should be in such a form and packaging that would allow it to be applied without touching the wound (ideally, these are sprays and aerosols);
3 The disinfectant must be suitable both for treating the wound itself and for disinfecting its edges, as well as for wiping the hands of the person treating the wound.

As a disinfectant, it is useful for parents to keep one of the following drugs in their home and travel medicine cabinets: Miramistin, Unisept, Chlorhexidine, Octenisept, Baktosin, Gorosten and the like.

Should wounds, abrasions and scratches on a child's skin be covered?

Some parents believe that it is better to cover any damage to the child’s skin, even the most minor, with a bandage or, at worst, a bandage after treatment. So that harmful microbes do not get into the wound. Others, on the contrary, are convinced that it is in the open air that all wounds, abrasions and scratches heal as quickly as possible. By and large, both are right.

If the wound is not sealed with a plaster or covered with a bandage, the damaged area will heal faster. And if, on the contrary, it is closed or sealed, the likelihood of harmful microbes entering the damaged tissue is minimized. Following your parent's instincts and based on your own experience, you can do both.

Reminder when treating minor skin injuries in a child

We will repeat the algorithm of your actions in case of minor damage to the child’s skin (be it abrasions, scratches, small wounds and punctures, bites, etc.). So:

1 Place the damaged area of the body under running (lukewarm) water, lather thoroughly, rinse with soap, and then thoroughly rinse off the soap. If you don't have a water tap at hand, add liquid soap to one of two bottles of sparkling water: first wash the wound from the soap bottle, then rinse off the soapy solution from the second (clean) bottle. If you have neither water nor soap at hand, cover the wound with a clean cloth or napkin and go to a place where both soap and water are available.
2 If the damage is very minor and there is no bleeding, you can get away with just washing with soap. But if there is a need to stop the bleeding, use a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, which should be moistened with a clean napkin, a piece of bandage or a handkerchief and pressed against the wound. Press and hold for at least 5 minutes! (without looking under the napkin every 10 seconds to check whether the bleeding has stopped or not).
3 After washing (and, if necessary, after stopping the bleeding), spray the abrasion (scratch, wound, etc.) with a disinfectant spray.
4 If desired, at the end of the treatment, you can seal the wound with a bactericidal plaster or apply a dry gauze bandage.

That, in fact, is all science! And remember: none of the children can avoid these small “side effects” of walking in the fresh air or mischief in the house - abrasions, scratches, small cuts and other minor injuries. As a rule, in the vast majority of cases, all these “wounds” need only be thoroughly washed with soap and sprayed with a disinfectant spray. But in rare situations, even a tiny scratch can cause major problems for a child’s health - therefore, it is highly advisable to show it to a doctor without wasting time. Now you know these situations!

A cut is damage to soft tissues with a violation of their integrity and physiological function.

Often people ignore such injuries, hoping for self-healing. But in some cases, cuts can become complicated.

It is important to always remember to get your tetanus shot. Especially in cases where the injury is deep and caused by an object that has been in the ground for a long time.

The treatment of cuts depends on the depth of the cut and the location of the injury.

Before administering first aid, be sure to wash your hands with soap and, if possible, wear gloves.

1.Abrasions and bruises It is advisable to rinse with an aqueous antiseptic solution and treat with Fukarcin or brilliant green. It is better to leave such wounds open, but if there is a possibility of re-injury or infection of the wound, it is better to cover the wound surface with a bandage.

2. Shallow cuts(for example, a cut on a finger) should be washed with an antiseptic solution (Chlorhexidine, Miramistin, hydrogen peroxide). Then you need to treat the edges of the wound with green paint and apply a dry bandage. Dressings should be done no more than once a day.

3. Deep wounds(that is, more than 2 cm long and 0.5 cm deep), as well as wounds with diverging edges, are washed with an aqueous antiseptic solution. The edges are treated with brilliant green, a sterile napkin is applied, and a pressure bandage is applied over it.

4. If as a result of the cut, a large vessel was damaged, you need to decide on the type of bleeding:

Arterial bleeding is characterized by rapid flow of scarlet blood. How to stop the bleeding from a cut with such bleeding? To do this at home or on the go, you can take a bandage and apply it above the cut site above the artery. Then secure it well, pressing the artery with a bandage and apply a bandage. It is possible to compress the artery with your fingers. At the same time, it must always be pressed against the bone.
If you apply a tourniquet, you must remember that it cannot be left on the limb for more than two hours to avoid troubles (tissue necrosis). Immediately write a note indicating exactly when the tourniquet will be applied;
Venous bleeding is characterized by slow flow of dark blood. If the wound is on an arm or leg, the limb must be raised above the level of the wound. A pressure bandage is applied below the injury site.

It happens that during subsequent dressings it is difficult to remove the bandage. In this case, it is necessary to soak it with Chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide, then carefully, without tearing it off, remove the bandage and re-treat the wound.

First aid for cuts in children

Helping children is not much different from helping adults. The only peculiarity is that children either forget about shallow injuries, or panic and cry, causing a feeling of confusion in their parents.

The main thing is to calm down and... Do not try to convince your child that he is not in pain. Talk about how he feels, explain the cause of the pain.

The most common wounds in children

After an exciting game, the child returned with torn clothes and bruised knees.

What to do?

Ask your child to remove/roll up clothing in the damaged area. If the abrasions are deep and removing/rolling up clothing is very painful, cut it off with scissors.

wash your hands;
then take any water-based antiseptic (Miramistin, Chlorhexidine) and pour it generously onto the abrasions so as to wash away the dirt and clean the wound. Blot gently using light pressure;
take a cotton swab and apply an aqueous solution of brilliant green or Fucarcin using blotting movements;
Apply several layers of bandage so that it covers the abrasions, but does not put pressure and does not interfere with the child’s movement.

Cuts on hands

A child, playing with a toy, cut his hand on a sharp edge.

First aid for a cut finger includes several sequential actions:

carefully examine the wound, assess its depth and contamination;
wash your hands;
wash the wound with a water antiseptic;
treat the edges of the wound with an aqueous solution of brilliant green;
apply several sterile wipes and bandage. The wipes will create pressure on the wound and help stop bleeding;

Don't bandage the wound too tightly. This can worsen the wound and increase pain.

Invite your child to take something cold in his hand. If the baby refuses, do not be upset and do not insist. Your peace of mind at such moments is most valuable.

Such a wound throws even the calmest parents into panic.

First of all, find out the circumstances of the child’s injury. Ask if it was a fall or if he accidentally cut himself with a sharp object. Remember, there are a lot of small vessels on the head and even a small wound provokes severe bleeding;
wash the wound, apply a bandage and consult a doctor for advice;
in the case where a child is injured due to a fall, especially if he has lost consciousness, it is necessary to call an ambulance.

How to help reduce pain?

After applying the bandage, you can place a heating pad with ice or a bottle of cold water on the damaged area. It is important to ensure that the surface of the heating pad being applied is dry. If you apply ice to a wound, wrap the container with it in a towel or diaper. This measure will help reduce pain and stop minor bleeding;
For an adult, any painkiller can be taken.

The main mistakes in first aid

The following erroneous actions are possible:

washing wounds with running water, which leads to infection;
treating the wound with alcohol solutions, which leads to a chemical burn;
frequent dressings also stimulate the development of infection in the wound;
attempts to independently remove foreign bodies (shards, soil) from the wound, which often leads to infection and deepening of the wound;
use of antibacterial drugs without medical supervision.

Important! The main purpose of first aid for cuts is:

stopping bleeding;
prevention of wound infection;
anesthesia.

When is an urgent consultation with a surgeon necessary?

At the first sign of wound infection. This is swelling, redness around the affected area, and increased body temperature.
For cuts (even shallow ones) on the face or head.
For deep cut wounds if the bleeding does not stop.
If there is loss of sensation at or below the cut site.
If the wound does not heal for a long time.
There is a foreign body in the wound.
No tetanus shot.
If tendons and ligaments are cut. Limb movements are limited or absent.

The long-awaited moment has arrived. You and your baby are finally being discharged from the maternity hospital. While you were in the maternity hospital, the department staff helped you in caring for your child, and everything seemed clear and understandable. But when you are left at home, alone with your baby, everything seems much more difficult. So that you don’t get confused, let’s talk about newborn hygiene once again.

How to care for the umbilical wound

Why and why? The umbilical cord usually falls off on days 3-5 of the child's life. In its place remains the so-called “umbilical wound”, which heals by 10-14 days of life. In order to speed up the healing process and prevent infection from entering the wound, it is necessary to care for it daily. It is more convenient to treat the umbilical wound after bathing the child. It's not difficult at all, you can do it!

So, you will need: sterile cotton swabs, 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, salicylic alcohol.

First you need to: remove rings and watches from your hands, wash your hands thoroughly.
Unwaddle the baby, wash him if necessary and place him on the changing table.
Using the thumb and forefinger of your left hand, spread the edges of the umbilical ring (with your index finger, pull the skin above the navel up towards the chest, and with your thumb, pull the skin under the navel down).
Now take a bottle of peroxide in your right hand and drop 1-2 drops directly onto the umbilical wound. Wait 20-30 seconds until the peroxide fizzes and foams - it washes away the dead crusts, cleaning the wound. Continuing to hold the skin in the navel area with your left hand, take a sterile cotton swab with your right hand and dry the umbilical wound with gentle blotting movements. There is no need to try to remove those crusts that have not separated on their own - their time has not yet come. Perhaps they will disappear tomorrow or in a day.
Take another cotton swab, dip it in salicylic alcohol, and spread the edges of the umbilical ring again. Gently but thoroughly blot the umbilical wound with the stick, and then wipe the skin around the navel in a circular motion.
Let the alcohol dry for a few seconds
That's all. You can put a diaper on your baby and swaddle him.

How to wash a newborn baby

Why and why? The skin of babies is much more delicate than that of adults, irritation and diaper rash occur very easily, so you need to wash the baby every time after he has had a bowel movement. In addition, keeping the skin clean helps your baby develop the first skills of neatness.

If you are away from home, you can use special baby wipes instead of washing, but you should not completely replace washing with such a simplified skin treatment.

A little trick. Babies tend to have a bowel movement after or during each feeding. This leads to the conclusion that washing before eating is a thankless task.

The first thing you need to do is roll up your sleeves, remove rings and watches from your hands, adjust the temperature and pressure of running water. Prepare a thin diaper to dry the skin after washing. It is very convenient to just hang it on your shoulder and always have it at hand.
Unwaddle your baby and remove his diaper.
It is more comfortable to hold the baby with your left hand and wash it with your right.
The boy is held face down when washing. Take the baby so that his chest lies across your forearm, while you hold his shoulder with the fingers of your left hand. Oddly enough, but hanging in this position, the baby does not experience the slightest discomfort.
The girl needs to be washed only from front to back, so as not to contaminate her genitals. Place the child's back on the forearm of your hand, so that the head is on the bend of the elbow, and you will hold her left thigh with your fingers. This position allows you to securely hold the baby, and leaves you complete “freedom of action.”
Wash your baby by scooping water into your palm using gentle movements from top to bottom, carefully removing dirt from the skin. It is especially important to wash all skin folds where dirt can accumulate and cause irritation. Do not use soap unless absolutely necessary; washing with soap once a week is sufficient.
When washing the girl, there is no need to “rub” the genitals, since the mucous membrane is very delicate. In addition, overzealous washing removes the protective lubricant that protects the genitals from pathogens.
After washing, dry your baby's skin. First, wrap the diaper over your baby's lower body and transfer him to the changing table. Then thoroughly blot the genitals, groin, buttocks and popliteal folds.
If necessary (irritation), treat skin folds with a small amount of baby oil.
Your baby is happy with life again. Now it would be good to “air out the butt” for 5-10 minutes before putting on a new diaper.

Why and why? Bathing a newborn (hygienic bath) is carried out for all healthy children after the umbilical remnant falls off. Before the umbilical wound heals, it is recommended to bathe the baby in boiled water or running water, but you need to add a solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) to it.

Until your baby is six months old, it is advisable to bathe him daily; in the second half of his life, you can do this every other day. As a rule, children really like to swim, because before birth, water was their natural element. In water, the muscles relax, the child feels comfortable and calm. The duration of bathing in the first year of life is 5-10 minutes. Washing with soap is carried out no more than once a week. It is advisable to bathe the child no earlier than an hour after feeding, preferably 10-15 minutes before evening feeding.

It is more convenient to bathe a newborn baby together; most often, the father is called upon to help, and in many families, bathing the baby is exclusively the father’s “honorable mission.” Large and reliable male hands hold the baby’s tiny body with amazing tenderness, which contributes to the emergence and development of close contact between the child and the father, who at these moments feels very needed. But if you have to do without an assistant, don’t worry, you can do it just fine on your own.

Important! If your baby is unwell, has a fever or signs of skin irritation, it is better to postpone bathing until you consult your pediatrician.

You will need: a baby bath, a jug of warm water for rinsing the baby, a special water thermometer, baby soap, a terry mitten, a large terry towel, a diaper, baby oil, a changing table with prepared clothes for the baby, cotton swabs with limiters or cotton swabs.

If the umbilical wound has not yet healed, prepare two containers with cold and hot boiled water or a solution of potassium permanganate to add to running water. The solution of potassium permanganate must be added to the water “drop by drop” until the water turns a faint pink color. Before using potassium permanganate, make sure that the crystals are completely dissolved, as getting a potassium permanganate crystal on the skin can cause a burn.

The air temperature in the room while bathing the child should be 22-24 degrees. You can bathe your baby in the bathroom, if it is spacious enough, or in the kitchen.

First of all, you need to prepare the bath - wash with a brush and soap and rinse with boiling water. Place the bath in a stable, comfortable position and fill it ½ full with water. First pour cold and then hot water to avoid steam formation. Now you need to immerse the thermometer in water. The temperature of the water in the bath should be 37-37.5 degrees. Measuring the water temperature with your elbow is only possible if you have sufficient experience; a thermometer is always more reliable.
Lay out the baby's clothes on the changing table, lay a towel on top, and place a diaper on it for wiping. However, you can put the diaper near the bath to make it more convenient for you to take it.
Undress the child and, if necessary, wash him. Take the baby so that the head rests on the forearm of your left hand, and hold the baby’s left shoulder joint with your fingers (the thumb clasps the shoulder from above, place the other fingers in the armpit). Use your right hand to support the baby's buttocks and legs.
Slowly immerse the baby in the bath: first the buttocks, then the legs and torso. Continue to support the baby's head with your left hand, leaving your right hand free for washing. The water level should reach the baby's armpits.
Swing the child on the water back and forth, left and right. Your movements should be smooth and unhurried. Smile at your baby and talk to him affectionately.
If you plan to wash the child with soap, then the “mitten” is put on the right hand. Lather your body using gentle circular motions and immediately rinse the soaped areas. First, wash your head from the forehead to the back of the head, then your neck, arms, chest, abdomen, legs. Rinse skin folds thoroughly. Lastly, wash your buttocks and genitals.
Remove the baby from the water with its back facing up. Rinse your body and wash your baby's face with water from a jug. Place a diaper on the baby, place him on the changing table, and dry the skin with gentle blotting movements.
Dry your ears with cotton swabs or cotton swabs.
Lubricate the folds of the skin with baby oil. If necessary, treat the umbilical wound.
Swaddle or dress your baby.

Now, to feel complete happiness, it would be nice for your baby to eat and sleep.

Morning toilet of a newborn

Why and why? We all know that “cleanliness is the key to health,” so every day we wash ourselves, brush our teeth, take a shower or bath. Without these usual hygiene procedures, a person feels uncomfortable. For a newborn baby, daily skin care is much more important than for an adult; in addition, the first habits of cleanliness begin to form unconsciously at such an early age.

The baby's daily toilet consists of washing, treating the eyes, nose, and skin folds. Until the umbilical cancer heals, it also needs to be treated daily. You need to wash your child after a night's sleep and during the day every time the child has had a bowel movement. The ears are treated as necessary in case of contamination and dried after each bathing. Children's nails are trimmed as they grow.

You will need: cotton pads (cosmetic pads), cotton wool for making flagella, baby oil or Vaseline, a container with warm boiled vodka, a container for used materials, scissors with rounded ends, cotton swabs with limiters, a set for treating the umbilical wound.

First you need to remove rings and watches from your hands and wash your hands. Prepare everything you need: open a bottle of oil,
wash the water container with soap, scald with boiling water, fill with warm boiled water,
twist nasal flagella from small pieces of cotton wool, about 3 cm long and 2-3 mm in diameter,
prepare a kit for treating the umbilical wound.

Now that you have everything at your fingertips, let's get down to business!

Washing and eye care

Washing a newborn baby is done with warm boiled water using cotton pads. Children over 3 months can be washed with running water.

Take a cotton pad, moisten it with water, squeeze lightly (so as not to drip). Wipe your baby's face in the following order: forehead, cheeks and, lastly, the area around the mouth. Discard this disc.

Then treat your eyes with separate cotton pads for each eye, moistened with warm boiled water, from the outer corner of the eye to the inner.

Take a dry cotton pad and dry your child's face in the same sequence.

Caring for the nasal passages

The nasal passages of a newborn baby are cleaned if there are crusts in them with soft cotton wool flagella moistened with petroleum jelly or baby oil.

Do not use cotton swabs on a hard base. The right and left nostrils are cleaned alternately with separate flagella. The flagella are inserted into the nose with careful rotational movements, no deeper than 1-1.5 cm.

Care for skin folds

To treat skin folds, use baby or Vaseline oil. Ready-made baby wipes impregnated with oil are quite convenient. You can moisten a cotton pad with oil, or you can simply apply it to your palms.

Important! You cannot use oil and powder at the same time, because in this case the powder will roll into lumps, which can cause skin irritation and diaper rash.

First, lubricate the folds of the upper half of the body (from top to bottom) - behind the ears, cervical, axillary, elbow, wrist. Then, with another tampon, fold the lower half of the body (from bottom to top) - ankle, popliteal, inguinal, buttock.

Now, so that the baby does not look like an oil donut, excess oil from the skin needs to be removed with a dry cotton pad.

Ear care

The ears and external auditory canals should be dried from water after bathing. It is very convenient to use ready-made “ear” cotton swabs with limiters. If you don’t have them, you can make small tampons out of cotton wool. Dry your baby's ears with gentle blotting movements using separate swabs.

If discharge (earwax) has accumulated in the external auditory canal, you need to clean it using cotton swabs with limiters or cotton swabs soaked in Vaseline or baby oil. Insert the flagellum into the external auditory canal with careful rotational movements to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. Use a separate flagellum for each ear canal.

Trimming nails

A newborn baby's nails need to be trimmed as they grow on his hands and feet to prevent the baby from scratching himself. Special children's scissors with rounded ends are convenient and safe.

A little trick. Many mothers are afraid of the thought that they will have to cut the nails on such tiny fingers that are constantly in motion. Therefore, everyone will be calmer if they do this “delicate work” when the baby is sleeping.

Take the child's hand so that only one finger remains free, on which you are going to trim the nail. Grab the finger with the thumb and index fingers of your left hand, holding it on both sides, and with the remaining fingers of your left hand you can hold the child’s other fingers.

Fingernails are trimmed in a semicircle, and toenails are trimmed in a straight line to avoid future problems such as ingrown toenails. You need to trim your nails with continuous movements of the scissors, and not “piece by piece.” Please check if there are any protruding sharp parts left on the nails.

Don’t forget to carefully collect the trimmed nails so that if they get lost in the folds of clothes and linen, they won’t injure your baby’s skin.

A wound is a violation of the integrity of the skin, internal tissues and even organs, caused by some external mechanical influence. Characterized by symptoms such as pain and bleeding.

Children of any age are very active and curious, so it is impossible to protect them from various injuries and scratches. It’s good if the damage is shallow, but there are also those that cannot be avoided without medical help. In any case, parents are required to know how to treat a child’s wound before visiting a doctor, no matter what it is - superficial or penetrating. The method of treatment will depend on the size, depth, location of the injury, and the severity of bleeding.

Small wound

Even a small scratch or cut can become a gateway for infection to enter the body, which will lead to the formation of an inflammatory process. To prevent this from happening, parents must know how and with what to treat a child’s wound, even of a small depth.

Wash the injury with hydrogen peroxide, which has not expired. If the skin around the injury is dirty, carefully clean the area of skin with boiled warm water using foam from laundry soap (do not touch the wound). Water for washing children's wounds is excluded. Treat with any antiseptic from your home medicine cabinet: alcohol, brilliant green, fucorcin, solutions of calendula or chlorophyllipt. The preparations “Eplan” and “Rescuer”, tea tree essential oil diluted in boiled water, solutions of furatsilin or potassium permanganate, and chlorhexidine are also suitable. Iodine can damage tissue (burn it), so it is not ideal for treatment. It is recommended to apply a sterile bandage over the wound (a bandage or bactericidal adhesive plaster will do). If the damage is small, there is no bleeding, the bandage is canceled: the scratch will heal faster in the air.

If even with a small wound you cannot stop the bleeding on your own, it is strongly recommended to immediately call a doctor or take the child to the emergency room.

Big wound

Sometimes quite deep and extensive damage to the skin and nearby tissues occurs. Accordingly, first aid for the baby will be of a different nature. Not many people know how best to treat an open wound in order to subsequently avoid a purulent-inflammatory process and complications.

First, the wound must be carefully examined. If there are foreign objects in it, they must be removed immediately (if they are not eyes). Extensive wounds are washed with hydrogen peroxide, solutions of furatsilin or potassium permanganate. Apply a bandage: cover with a sterile napkin, bandage. Such injuries are almost always accompanied by heavy bleeding, which must be stopped. To do this, the bandage is made tight enough, but not so tight that it cuts off blood circulation. If blood seeps through the bandage, there is no need to remove or tighten it any further: another bandage is applied on top of it.

In such cases, the child should be taken to the emergency room or hospital as quickly as possible. At the same time, the victim is not recommended to drink or eat: if there is an operation under anesthesia, this will be inappropriate.

On the face and on the head

If a child has a wound on his face or head, the situation is quite serious. Not only is it very painful, but in the future any facial injury can disfigure the baby’s appearance with scars. On the other hand, it is the skin of the face that recovers the fastest, as it is well supplied with blood.

The most difficult thing will be with the head: if the hair is short, it will be easy to treat the wound. Long strands around the injury will have to be cut. Rinse with peroxide. Treat with an antiseptic. Apply a sterile bandage. Go to the emergency room. If the depth of a wound on the face can be determined independently and, given its small area, one can limit oneself to home remedies, then the degree of damage to the skin on the head is very difficult to determine independently. In this case, it is recommended to show the baby to the doctor.

If you are not sure that you can provide first aid to a child yourself, immediately call a doctor or take him to the hospital yourself.

Weeping wound

Sometimes a constant separation of fluid - ichor, pus, blood - forms on the surface of the injury, which complicates and slows down the healing process. A doctor should tell you how to properly treat a weeping wound, since with such a complication you must definitely seek qualified medical help.

Use water-soluble ointments to treat the wound (Levosin and Levomikol are the safest for children). Change dressings as needed as soon as they become wet, but at least twice a day. Wash wet wounds with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Maintain maximum sterility. When the wound begins to dry out, its healing can be accelerated with the help of Kalanchoe juice, rosehip oil or sea buckthorn oil.

If you are not sure that you can change your child’s bandages on a weeping wound yourself, it is better to take him to the nearest hospital every day, where the damage will be treated sterilely and efficiently.

In order for any wound received by a child to heal, a certain period is necessary. Occasionally, re-dressing and debridement may be required in the emergency room or surgeon's office. If the injury is infected, antibiotics may be prescribed. Treatment of any type of wound should be carried out under the constant supervision of an experienced surgeon and in strict accordance with his instructions and recommendations.

A child's wound: how to treat it?

A wound in a child is a fairly common occurrence. In most cases, children are active, mobile and inquisitive, which means that their chances of getting a wound, abrasion, bruise, scratch and other injuries are very high. Of all the listed injuries, the wound is the most dangerous type of injury. Therefore, all parents should know how to behave if their child receives a wound, how to properly provide first aid to the child, and how to treat the child’s wound.

What is a wound?

This refers to damage to mucous membranes, skin, tendons, muscles or internal organs through exposure to sharp objects, firearms, chemical and thermal factors. The degree of danger depends on the depth of the damage, its area, the nature of the application, the presence of infection, location, and the volume of blood loss. The same factors affect the rate of restoration of damaged tissue.

There are stab, cut, torn, scalped, chopped, and gunshot wounds received as a result of bites, bruises, and burns. The speed of restoration of damaged areas depends on the presence/absence of pus, the width of the cavity, and the amount of exudate.

Providing first aid for treating wounds in children

Providing first aid if a child is injured has its own characteristics. Since the violation of the integrity of the skin is accompanied by blood loss, the child may panic or go into shock at the sight of blood. Therefore, it is important to calm the baby as soon as possible, divert his attention and provide him with first aid. At the same time, watch yourself, act clearly and harmoniously: seeing your excessive anxiety, tears and helplessness, the child may panic.

If the wound is small, shallow and its appearance is accompanied by slight blood loss, you need to remove foreign objects (if any) from it and rinse it. To clean, you can use clean warm water or a mild soap solution. After the damaged area has been cleaned, it should be disinfected. Hydrogen peroxide, a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate, and fucorcin are suitable for this. If you use iodine, treat it exclusively to nearby areas of the skin and make sure that it does not get into the wound cavity itself. Finally, apply a sterile bandage to the damaged area. For minor injuries that are not accompanied by heavy bleeding, you can do without a bandage.

If the child’s wound is large and deep, you should call an ambulance as soon as possible and take the little patient to the nearest medical facility. Before the ambulance arrives, try to calm the baby and provide him with first aid. If a lot of blood is flowing from the wound, after cleansing and disinfecting, apply a pressure bandage to the damaged area. Please note: the bandage should be so compressive that blood circulation is not impaired. Therefore, if blood continues to ooze through the bandage, do not tighten it further. Simply apply an additional layer of bandage or gauze. If an artery has been damaged and blood is gushing out, it is necessary to apply a tourniquet just above the wound, placing a cloth under it with a note about the time of application.

What to put on a child's wounds?

The choice of the appropriate agent depends on the healing phase.

The first period of tissue restoration is characterized by the active release of exudate, so it is recommended to anoint the child’s wound with an ointment that has antibacterial and absorbent characteristics.

The second stage of regeneration is represented by the growth of granulations: at this time, the child’s wound should be sufficiently moist and protected from secondary infection. During this period, creams and gels that have a hydrophilic rather than fatty base are usually used.

Often parents are faced with the fact that the child scratches the wounds, trying to tear off the scab that has formed. It is important to prevent this from happening, as it may leave a scar.

Remember: the choice of drugs that can be used to treat a child’s wound is made by the doctor. This is especially important in cases where the wound is extensive, deep or accompanied by an inflammatory process. The exception is shallow injuries - for example, wounds on a child’s knees, abrasions, minor cuts and scratches.

Traditional methods of treating wounds in children

To speed up the healing process of wounds in children, you can use traditional medicine. However, keep in mind that they are auxiliary and cannot replace qualified medical care.

Aloe juice can be used to treat children's wounds. Cut off the lower leaves of the plant, wash them, cut off the skin and wipe the damaged area with the pulp.

You can also use plantain. Clean leaves should be crushed and applied to the wound, first wrapped in a bandage.

La-Cri products and their help in treating childhood wounds

To prevent the formation of a scar, as well as to prevent the child from scratching the wound, we recommend using La-Cri restorative cream. This remedy effectively combats itching, which is inevitable during wound healing in children. It also has an anti-inflammatory antimicrobial effect, which significantly accelerates tissue restoration.

Read also

A scratch is a violation of the integrity of the surface layer of the skin (epidermis), resulting from contact with a thin sharp object and usually having a linear shape.

A wound is a damage to the integrity of the skin or mucous membrane (in some cases also muscles, tendons and internal organs), which occurs under the influence of mechanical, thermal or chemical factors.

Every person who has received some kind of damage to the skin, subcutaneous fat, tendons and muscles should remember the possibility of inflammation of the wound.

The speed of healing of the injury largely depends on how well and timely first aid is provided for abrasions.

Children are always active, love to run and play outdoor games. This means that minor injuries are not uncommon for them.

Rules for treating children's abrasions, scratches and cuts.

The algorithm for help is simple: rinse, treat with an antiseptic, apply a sterile bandage. Further actions vary depending on the depth and area of the lesion - most shallow abrasions heal well in the open air without bandages and additional treatment with medications.

1. Wash the wound.

Wash the abrasion with boiled water and soap (children's, laundry). Water mechanically removes particles of contaminants, and soap acts as a light antiseptic.

2. Stop the bleeding.

When the wound is washed, the bleeding should be stopped. Usually the bleeding time is just long enough to wash away contaminants (a small amount of blood coming from the wound also helps to cleanse it). If the bleeding does not stop, apply a sterile gauze bandage and bandage it. Place a plastic bag with ice on top for 10-15 minutes.

3. Treat the wound.

After the bleeding has stopped, you should think about how to treat the child’s abrasion. There are a lot of options: from banal brilliant green to modern antiseptic sprays. In fact, any skin antiseptic will do, choose:

Peroxide. Peroxide can be used to treat the entire surface of shallow wounds (water directly from the bottle), it does not hurt, the foam will not only cleanse the wound of germs, but will also amuse the baby.
Sprays. Acerbin spray disinfects the wound well, but causes a short-term but quite strong burning sensation. Olazol spray is more pleasant to use - in addition to the antiseptic and wound-healing component, it contains anesthesin, a local anesthetic.
Zelenka or iodine. If you prefer brilliant green, iodine or alcohol, then treat exclusively the edges of the wound.
Solutions. To treat abrasions in a child, a solution of potassium permanganate (weak, slightly pink), furacillin (2 tablets per glass of water), chlorhexidine or miramistin (0.05% aqueous solution) is suitable. Miramistin is sold in the form of a spray, which is very convenient if you need to treat a child’s abrasion while traveling.
Powder. Baneocin powder is a modern analogue of white streptocide. An excellent simple option for treating a child’s abrasion if the scratched surface is very small and shallow. But never put powder on deep wounds!

4. Apply a bandage.

After treating the abrasion with an antiseptic, apply a sterile bandage to the wound and bandage it loosely. For superficial abrasions, the need for a bandage disappears after 1-2 days, when a protective crust forms.

How to treat a child’s abrasion if the bandage is stuck to the wound? You should not tear off the bandages “to the quick”; it is better to moisten the gauze with an aqueous antiseptic (miramistin, chlorhexidi, furacillin) and wait until the crust softens, then it will become much easier to separate the bandage.

How to treat a child’s abrasion so that it heals faster?

Abrasions are rarely kept under a bandage for long, with the exception of large and weeping wounds. In this case, Levomekol is an indispensable ointment that disinfects and heals wounds. Sulfargin, Stellanin - these ointments can be used both under a bandage and outdoors.