Children’s cuts and grazes
Childhood cuts and grazes are common. Childhood is full of minor bumps and grazes as children learn to walk, run, ride a bicycle, climb, and enjoy all their other adventures! It is inevitable they will fall at some point and experience a graze. Teaching children how to self-care for minor injuries is a skill they can build on and carry through to adulthood. Many schools have First Aid as part of the curriculum, but we can encourage self-care at home too.
Cuts and grazes
If a child only has a minor wound, such as a cut or graze, try letting them take the lead on the first aid actions.
What should the child do?
Some simple steps to enable a child with a minor wound to help themselves:
- Let an adult know they are hurt so that the responsible adult can check the child is not badly injured.
- If the injury is not serious, the child can clean the wound with soap and water. Under a tap is best.
- Pat the wound dry using a clean cloth or some gauze from a First Aid Kit.
- If it is bleeding a little, apply some pressure using a sterile gauze swab.
- When bleeding is controlled, apply some antiseptic cream or spray.
- Put a plaster on top of the wound and ensuring the non-sticky part covers the whole wound area.
- Take the plaster off at the end of the day and ask an adult to check the wound is healing well.
Be careful
Remember:
- If you are helping someone else, use medical gloves as part of universal precautions.
- Keep first aid kits out of reach of children if you keep medications inside, or if the child is young. There may be things inside that can cause them harm.
Check your first aid kit
- HealthFirst sells a range of first aid kits which are perfect for families and days out.
By Nurse Midwife Polly Pupulin, Senior HealthFirst Trainer
