Dr. Zibners.com

How to know if your child's illness or injury is really an emergency

articles

The First of Many

Came home last night to find two very happy girls playing with their new sitter (that’s another post). And Jackie’s shirt covered in blood. Actually, I probably wouldn’t have noticed the blood if she hadn’t pointed it out. Zoe is 7 ½ months old and is freakishly pulling up to a stand all the time, at least 4-6 weeks earlier than the book says she should. She’s not terribly stable, but she’s determined to keep up with Eva. And apparently yesterday she pulled herself up to the window while holding a tube of diaper ointment in her mouth. (Ok, I know. That’s yet another topic for another day.) Unsteady as she is, she fell forward, jamming the tube into her face and cutting her mouth.

There is something to be said for having a sitter who has raised several children already. Jackie didn’t panic. She got Zoe calmed down and checked her over. The bleeding stopped once the crying did. Because the baby seemed fine and went immediately back to playing and since I was due home in about 20 minutes, Jackie waited until I returned to tell me what had happened. I appreciated both her honesty and obvious calm. (And I seriously don’t blame her one bit. I let them play in the diaper bucket all the time. It’s their favorite toy. In fact, I consider it a toy.)
Upon inspection, all Zoe had was a tiny, tiny scrape along the roof of her mouth. There’s nothing to do and it’s probably already healed up by today. The thing about mouth injuries is that even the tiniest of wounds bleeds like a stuck pig. Our heads have fantastic blood supplies and that’s why a tiny cut can bleed heavily. No need to call the doctor unless it is bleeding heavily and won’t stop in 10-15 minutes, especially after you’ve calmed her down. A popsicle or ice cube might help slow the flow for an older kid with a mouth injury. For cuts in the mouth, only really significant injuries require any kind of treatment. Even big cuts of the tongue will usually heal without any stitches. Of course, stabbing yourself in the back of the throat could rarely cause complications so that deserves a call to the doc. But what I always tell parents is that most mouth wounds will heal in just a few days. As long as there are no signs of infection (increasing redness, pain or fever are a few), the only thing to do is avoid giving your kid a lemon to suck (or anything salty or acidic) until it’s better. Because that will sting. And of course, don’t worry if it starts bleeding again, especially if she’s crying, so long as it stops when she calms down.
Fortunately we’ve had no further trouble and Zoe is completely unfazed. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I come home to someone covered in blood. Can’t wrap them in bubble wrap, can I? In an odd coincidence, she has a new tooth today. Talk about trauma.

Dr. Lara Zibners, Sep 15, 2010

Find more articles like this one:

• Topic:

• Keywords:

Comments

Discuss this article.

No Comments yet.

Commenting is not available in this section entry.