It can be difficult to see your child injured and in pain, especially when it’s a more serious incident that requires them to get stitches. Luckily, urgent care is much more accessible and advanced than it used to be, so you can surely get them the medical attention they need to get better.
However, it’s also important to recognize that those stitches are prone to infection if they’re not properly cared for. You’ll need to clean the wound regularly and inspect the stitches to see whether they’re still intact. Consider urgent care if things get worse.
Here are six tips to help parents properly care for their child’s stitches.
1) Use Petroleum Jelly for Moisture
Petroleum jelly can help keep a wound moist and prevent stitches from drying out. This will help the healing process and also prevent the stitches from coming loose. Just be wary of application, as getting the area of the wound a little too moist won’t be ideal for the stitches either.
2) Take Pain Medication for Discomfort
If your kid is experiencing discomfort from your stitches, let your kids take pain medication as directed by your doctor. This will help ease pain and make the healing process more bearable. Ice can also help reduce swelling around the area of the wound and stitches, posing as a helpful tool in the first few days after stitches.
3) Avoid Possible Places for Infection
It is important to avoid infection by keeping the child’s stitches clean and dry. Avoid touching or scratching the area where the stitches are, and refrain from using any lotions or creams. In addition, you should avoid any dirty areas as well as certain activities like swimming or soaking in a tub until your stitches have been removed.
4) Put Pressure to Stop Bleeding
There are a couple of things parents must do to stop bleeding if their child’s stitches open up. First, apply pressure to the area with a clean cloth or gauze. If the bleeding doesn’t stop after a few minutes, call urgent care or head to an urgent care center to seek medical attention immediately.
5) Prevent Exposure to Sunlight
It is important to keep the area where your child’s stitches are located out of direct sunlight. This will help to prevent the area from becoming irritated or inflamed. It can also help with getting the wound to heal faster. If your kid has to be outdoors, make sure to cover the area with a bandage or cloth.
6) Watch Out for Signs of Infection
If you notice certain signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, or pus coming from the wound, it is important to contact your nearest urgent care right away. Infections can cause the wound to heal more slowly and may even lead to complications, so it’s best to take your kid to a doctor right away.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important to properly care for your children’s stitches in order to ensure that they heal properly. Be sure to support them in physically and emotionally recovering from whatever injury they had faced prior.
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