Summer time is great! The kids are out of school, they have all sorts of time to make up games, and the weather is nice enough that you can shoo them out into the backyard to play their games outside. Of course, having more time to play also can mean more injuries. All summer long, kids will fall down, scrape their hands and knees and find all sorts of creative ways to hurt themselves accidentally .
Do you know what to do if your kids get hurt? Here are a few tips to help you treat the cuts and scrapes that happen when kids play.
Whenever there is a scrape or a cut, put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding before you do anything else. Use a clean cloth or bandage to soak up any bleeding, and try not to touch the wound with your bare hands (your hands are home to all sorts of things that could infect the wound without your knowing it).
Before putting a bandage on a wound, no matter how minor, place the cut or scraped area under running water. The water’s movement will help rid the wound of debris that, if left in the wound, could cause an infection and do further damage. It’s also a good idea to treat the area with some mild soap.
Believe it or not, antibiotic ointment has not been proven to help the healing process! If you choose to use it, only use a small amount and apply it to the wound very lightly.
If a cut or wound is deep, it might need stitches. The best way to tell if a wound needs stitches is to pinch the sides of the cut or scrape together. If the wound looks significantly better, stitches might be your best option. Call your doctor!
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