Baby Care Tip #37 – Don’t use cotton swabs to clean your baby’s wounds

Here is what you need to do when your child gets hurt

Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : October 13, 2017 5:15 PM IST

Cuts, scratches and scars are common during childhood. If you have a toddler you cannot escape these. Falls and wounds are synonymous to a healthy and playful childhood. So, if your child comes to you with a bleeding wound after a fall while playing in the park, don t panic. I am not saying to ignore the wound, but treat it with care. First, know that no matter how much precaution you take while your child starts to explore the world on her own, such episodes are expected. Know when your kid grows up she will be able to handle these things better. Here are 19 baby care tips for every new mother.

But as a parent, your first instinct should be to clean the wound and stop the bleeding. The biggest mistake parents do while addressing a wound is to dab a cotton swab dipped in an antibacterial solution to stop the bleeding. However, that isn t the right way to address your child s wounds as this might increase the chances of infections.

A few days back I spoke to Dr Sitaram Prasad, plastic, cosmetic and microsurgeon, Mumbai to know what is the right way to nurse a wound and the first thing he pointed out was not to use cotton swabs on the wounds. Here is how you should treat a wound the right way to avoid an infection:

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First, wash the wound with tap water and use compression to stop the bleeding.
Instead of using raw cotton, press the wound with gauze pieces or a clean cotton cloth.
When the bleeding stops, a clot develops on the injured part, which creates a barrier for bacteria to get inside. However, this barrier is temporary and if the wound is not closed or healed soon, it can become infectious.
Keep some dressings at home to dress the wounds. So, once the bleeding stops. Apply antibacterial ointments over the wound.
Whether the wound is just a scratch or a large open cut, never put cotton over it to stop the bleeding. Cotton fibres would stick to the wound and even a doctor will find it difficult to remove the fibres later. Over a period, the remnant cotton fibres might turn into a foreign body and leads to a fatal infection.
Some wounds might need advance care like a change of dressing every day or might need a stitch. So, if the bleeding doesn t stop even after pressing the wound with a cotton cloth and continues for more than 10 minutes go to a doctor to get checked.

Image source: Shutterstock

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