Summertime Injuries – When to Call Your Pediatrician

My daughter fell, scraped her knee and cut her chin.  Can I treat this at home?  How do I know if she needs stitches?

Minor cuts and scrapes are par for the course when running outside. It’s usually the initial trauma or site of blood that brings her running to you in tears. First, apply pressure with a clean cloth to stop bleeding. Next, use soap and lots and lots of water to clean the wound. If she won’t let you wash out her cut, try soaking her (and the boo-boo) in the bathtub. Finally, apply an antibiotic ointment and a band-aid. Cute band-aids keep the area clean and seem to calm down an injured child.

If the cut is deep, has jagged edges, the skin is gapping open or it doesn’t stop bleeding in 10 minutes it should be evaluated as it might require stitches. Also, call your pediatrician if there are any signs of infection such as redness, oozing, pain or swelling.