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Health What to do with small splinters in the skin of children?
After the romp in the garden or on the playground, it happens that a child with a splinter under skin comes home. When removing the slate, special hygiene measures must be followed to prevent infections. Some tips may help to facilitate the procedure for the offspring.
Clean hands and wound with soap and water
Probably every person has ever moved a wood splinter. Especially children get a slate in the skin when raving in the woods or playing on the jungle gym. The little ones then come home with pain and want to get rid of the foreign body quickly. But parents should not handle the wound directly, but clean their hands and the affected area with soap and water and dab dry before attempting to remove the part. "So infections can be avoided," write the experts of the Professional Association of Paediatricians (BVKJ) on their website "kinderaerzte-im-netz.de".
After playing outdoors, children will come home with a wood splinter in their skin. Before such a slate is removed, the wound should be cleaned. (Image: D. Starmann / fotolia.com) Home remedies can help
There are very different ways in which such a small splinter is best removed. Some people rely on special patches or creams that are available in pharmacies and "suck out" the slate. If the splinter still sticks out of the skin, you can possibly get it out with a strong adhesive tape. Simple home remedies can help to remove the slate more easily. For example, a crushed banana or a piece of soap, which are pressed by means of a plaster on the splitter. If left overnight, the splitter should be easier to pick up the next morning.
Disinfect tweezers and needle first
"If you use tweezers, you should also disinfect their tips for safety. Then you can carefully remove the splinter opposite to the direction of penetration, "advises Dr. Monika Niehaus, member of the expert panel of the BVKJ. For smaller splinters, a magnifying glass can be an advantage. If the splinter does not stick out of the skin, father or mother can use a fine needle to expose the skin to remove the foreign body. Again, it should be noted that the needle tip is cleaned and disinfected. Following this "minor procedure", the wound is cleaned again, creamed with petroleum jelly and plastered.
For larger foreign bodies to the doctor
"When the area reddens around the point of entry, the pain gets worse, or pus forms, the child should be introduced in the field; also if it fails to remove the small foreign body, "Dr. Niehaus. The doctor can then also check whether the child has adequate protection against tetanus and if it may need to be refreshed. For larger foreign bodies such as fishhooks, broken glass or pieces of metal parents should not become self-sufficient with their offspring. As long as the part remains in the wound, it usually bleeds little or not at all. Since objects that penetrate into the trunk, neck or head can even be life-threatening, the ambulance should be called quickly in the event of such injuries. (Ad)