How to get a splinter out of your finger? How to get a splinter out of a small child's finger? How to remove a splinter from a child's finger

24.07.2019

The situation when a child, who was playing merrily a minute ago, begins to cry and runs to his mother for help, is very common. Often the cause is a splinter - a small foreign body that damages the integrity of the skin and remains in the body.

Here you should avoid a number of mistakes and, first of all, take seriously such a problem as a splinter in a child, and also know exactly what needs to be done and what should not be done in any case. Let's figure out how to act when your crumb splinters a handle or a leg?

Why splinters must be removed

Pediatricians keep repeating: do not leave such a "battle wound" unattended! Since a splinter is, first of all, a foreign body (and most often also a contaminated one), it is a source of infection. If you do not remove a splinter, a shard of glass or other object that sticks into the skin, an inflammatory process and even the formation of pus are possible.

Important! Pay attention to the location of the splinter. If it is located next to large blood vessels, measures must be taken urgently, delay threatens with problems!

Glass splinters should never be ignored as they can penetrate deeper tissues and cause serious injury.

Preparing to uninstall

Before removing a splinter from a child's heel, finger or toe, elbow or knee, there is a little preparatory work to be done.

Pull yourself together, calm down and calm your baby. Carefully inspect the place of damage, assess the "scale of the tragedy." If possible, you need to find out from the crumbs what exactly he splintered on the handle or leg.
To cope with the problem faster, prepare a warm bath in which you can add baking soda and salt in equal proportions (a teaspoon per glass of water), baby soap (2 tablespoons grated with the same amount of water). Let the crumb lower the injured limb in water for 10 minutes: it will be easier to get the splinter out of the steamed skin.

In the meantime, mom should prepare everything she needs:

tweezers;
nail scissors;
a needle (preferably a medical one, from a syringe);
disinfecting materials such as alcohol;

cotton wool;
bactericidal plaster;
if necessary - a magnifying glass.

Important! Remember to sterilize all instruments and hands! Wipe them with rubbing alcohol, tools can be boiled (be sure to let them cool down before use).

How to remove a splinter from a child

First of all, it is necessary to treat the affected area. Wipe it, or rather sprinkle it with alcohol.
The choice of method depends on how deeply the foreign body has entered the skin. If a splinter on a child's leg or arm is well visualized, and its edge protrudes above the skin, it is picked up with tweezers and gently pulled in the direction in which it entered the skin.
If a splinter in a child is located on the foot or is immersed in the skin deep enough, you should make a slight incision in the skin at the site of injury, and then pick up the splinter, helping yourself with a needle.

Important! Be very careful not to break off the tip!

Another safe way to remove a splinter from a child without a needle is to use an aloe leaf. Cut it open, attach the cut to the wound. This will disinfect it, and also help the foreign body to get out faster. Pre-check if the crumbs are allergic to plant sap.
After removing the splinter, treat the wound again with alcohol and apply a sterile dressing. Observe the wound for a week.

When to see a doctor

It is not always possible to cope with this problem on your own. Sometimes you should not engage in amateur performances, but go for medical help.

Before removing a deep splinter from a child, make sure that at least its edge is close to the surface of the skin. Otherwise, it is better to entrust the extraction to a doctor.
You should not independently get a splinter under the nail, especially in a very young child.
It is worth seeking medical help if there are several splinters, moreover, they are glass.
You cannot independently get out large splinters located next to the blood vessels.
If a splinter has festered or the child has bleeding at the site of the injury, you should definitely go to the hospital.

Preventive measures

Having discovered a splinter in a child, many parents wonder what to do in this case; pediatrician Yevgeny Komarovsky advises first of all not to panic. If the edge of the splinter protrudes above the surface of the skin, you should first of all get it: with tweezers, if any, with a medical clamp.
You can also do this with your nails, after having disinfected your hands. After that, the wound is treated with an antiseptic. If the splinter is deep, the damaged area is disinfected, a bactericidal patch is applied and sent to a doctor.

Splinters on children's arms and legs are not at all uncommon, because little researchers always try to touch and study everything on their own. Going to the doctor with a splinter is not a good idea for most parents. Moreover, there are many ways to quickly get a splinter from a baby as painlessly as possible on your own. We will talk about them in this article.

Few facts about splinters

A splinter is a sharp foreign body that penetrates under the top layer of the skin. This usually occurs during outdoor play and playing with wood or glass or metal.

Often splinters penetrate the baby's skin while playing in the sandbox or in the country, in nature.

The foreign body can be very small, the child will not even feel it. It is these tiny splinters that usually come out on their own, the body is able to reject them quite quickly and painlessly. But if the splinter is noticeable, it gives the baby pain or discomfort, if it has entered deeply, then it is necessary to pull out the "uninvited guest" as soon as possible in order to avoid inflammation, suppuration, and the addition of a bacterial infection.

All manipulations with the damaged area should be carried out exclusively with clean hands previously washed with soap. Wash and, if possible, pour boiling water over all the "tools" that are planned to be used during the manipulations. If it is not possible to treat with boiling water, you should wipe the items with an antiseptic.

First of all, you should evaluate your strengths and the degree of the problem. If the splinter has gone too deep, and redness and swelling have formed over it, you should not try to cope with it yourself. It is better to go to the nearest emergency room.

If a splinter has entered where there is an accumulation of nerve endings, then anesthesia cannot be avoided. Therefore, it is also advisable to remove a foreign body from under the nail in a medical institution. If the child "acquired" a splinter a few days ago, but the fact of its presence has become known only now, when the affected area is sick, inflamed and festering, you will have to use some pharmaceutical drugs with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects.

It is advisable to start any method after the child has done a steaming bath, this is especially important if a foreign body is stuck in a place that is hard to reach for tools - under the nails and in the heel.

The bath will require warm water, baby soap, and some baking soda. Duration of steaming is about 10-15 minutes.

Effective ways

Thin needle

This is the traditional method, familiar to everyone from childhood, for which a sharp, thin needle is used. Do not use sewing needles for manipulation. It is better to use a needle from a disposable sterile syringe. Antiseptic (alcohol or "Miramistin") you need to treat your hands, a needle, tweezers and the injured part of the skin.

The needle is gently prying the skin directly perpendicularly over the splinter, introducing it horizontally under the uppermost layer of the epidermis, and slightly tear it, then cling to the appeared tip with tweezers and take it out as carefully as possible, without squeezing so as not to break it. Then the injured finger or palm is treated with an antiseptic again. For several days, it is worth carefully observing the extraction site so as not to miss signs of possible infection.

Inflammation, redness, swelling, the appearance of pus - all these are signs that it is time to apply an antibiotic ointment (for example, "Levomekol") or go to the doctor's office.

This method has several big drawbacks. First, a sterile needle and antiseptics are not always on hand. Secondly, not every child voluntarily agrees to be poked with a needle in his finger. If a one-year-old child can still be somehow supported with the help of other family members, then for an older child it is best to choose an alternative method, without using a needle.

Scotch

A great way for a small child who "collected" several small splinters at once, for example, when falling. The affected area should be treated with an antiseptic, trying not to press on the places where foreign bodies enter the skin, so as not to drive them deeper. The skin must be allowed to dry, after which stick on the affected area a piece of wide tape.

With a sharp movement, peel off the tape. The lion's share of small splinters will remain on it. The procedure must be repeated until all small splinters are removed.

The method is definitely not suitable for a deep splinter, as well as for babies up to a year old, since their skin is very vulnerable, and manipulating the tape will cause the baby more suffering than the splinters themselves.

Also, this method cannot be used if there are areas with abrasions around small splinters, this will cause pain and increase the risk of infection of the wounds.

Baking soda

A deep splinter in a hard-to-reach place, such as the heel or the center of the palm, that cannot be reached with a needle or other means, can be attempted extract with regular baking soda, which every housewife has in the kitchen. For a tablespoon of soda, take about half a teaspoon of warm water, make a soda gruel and apply to the place of entry of the splinter. Put a cotton pad or a piece of gauze on top and carefully fix it with a plaster.

After one and a half to two hours, the skin under the garter will swell greatly. A splinter with a slight pressure on the sides in most cases easily comes out on its own.

If it does not come out, then it will be very easy to get it out of the softened skin with a sterile needle. Manipulation will not hurt if done correctly.

Cons of this method lie in the fact that a rather aggressive in nature soda on the delicate skin of a baby can cause an allergic reaction, and the likelihood of removing a deep splinter is not one hundred percent.

Iodine

A school-age child and teenager can have a deep splinter removed with iodine... To do this, the wound is moistened with an antiseptic applied to a cotton swab every three to four hours. If the splinter is wooden, then it will "burn" as a result and come out.

The method raises great doubts, and is definitely not suitable for use in children under 12 years of age.

The child's body is too quickly able to accumulate iodine coming from the outside; in a baby, such a method of extracting a banal splinter can cause more serious consequences than inflammation and wound suppuration, for example, an overdose of iodine. And this is already uniform sadism and barbarism.

PVA glue

Parents of babies will definitely like this method, since it does not have such a strong traumatic effect as all of the above. In order to remove the splinter from under the skin on the arm, leg of a small child, you need to apply a little to the damaged skin PVA glue.

When the glue dries, carefully remove it. Often the splinter comes out with it, because its tip is firmly glued. The disadvantage of this method- the likelihood of a splinter breaking off when only a part of it that was located closer to the surface of the skin comes out.

A definite plus- psychological comfort of the baby, since no one will force him to walk with a bandage for several hours and poke needles into the injured place.

Ichthyol ointment

If the question arises of how to remove a splinter from a child's finger without the use of any traumatic devices, then you can consider such a well-known drug as ichthyol ointment... It is applied to the damaged area, applied on top of a cotton pad, bandage, and, if necessary, fixed with a plaster. After 10 hours, the bandage is removed, the splinter with a high degree of probability will come out even when removed.

Cons of the method consist in the unpleasant smell of the ointment itself, the child will definitely not like it. In addition, children do not like fixed bandages, especially for such a long time.

It is also important to follow all safety measures regarding this drug. Do not apply it to the skin of a child under 6 years of age.

Despite the fact that many parents claim that they used ichthyol ointment for one-year-old babies, manufacturers indicate that such experiments can be dangerous. "Ichthyolka" can not be licked, there is. Make sure that the child cannot access the contents under the bandage.

Salty water

A "fresh" splinter that the child received no more than an hour ago can be removed with salt water... Dissolve table salt in a glass (2.5-3 tablespoons of salt for 250 ml of water). The water should be hot, but not so hot that a child's finger cannot be in it.

A leg or arm (depending on the place of injury) is lowered into salt water, held for about 15 minutes. Then the splinter will easily come out with a slight slight side pressure, like on a pimple. Significant disadvantage method lies in the fact that it will be quite difficult to keep a restless child by a glass of salt water for more than 3 minutes, and the time interval here is of decisive importance.

Birch Tar / Banana Peel

This is a method based on the imposition of compresses. The "push-out" properties are possessed by banana peel and Birch tar... With these components one by one or combining them together, you need to apply a compress on the damaged injured skin at the site of the splinter entry. The compress is covered with cling film, tied with a bandage and left overnight.

In the morning, the foreign body is usually at the very top, at the entry point and the splinter can be easily removed with tweezers. Convenience of the way is that both bananas and tar are readily available ingredients. Minus- the fact that traditional medicine is not yet able to clearly explain the "pulling away" effect of banana peels. Therefore, this method is considered more popular, which means that there are no guarantees that it will help the next morning.

Hello dear readers. It's time to talk about cases when parents notice that a splinter has appeared in a child. You can find out what to do in such situations by reading this article. We will consider the use of sharp objects and not only, we will pay special attention to the methods of traditional medicine.

Variants and locations

The main splinters that are driven by a child are wood chips, glass shards, metal objects.

The depth of penetration of the foreign object may vary. When they are on the surface of the skin, especially if the head of a splinter sticks out, parents can independently help the child. For deep placement, it is recommended to use folk methods without the use of sharp instruments. In the absence of the desired result, consult a doctor.

Most often, children drive splinters on their fingers, and can also be found in such places:

on the feet;
on the elbows;
under the nails;
on your knees;
on the face.

What is the danger

Parents should understand that a splinter in a child can not only cause pain and discomfort, but (in the absence of the necessary measures) is fraught with the development of consequences. In addition, it must be borne in mind that a particular danger is concealed by splinters driven in a summer cottage or on the street, in particular, if the baby does not have tetanus vaccination.

Bacterial infection.
Copious accumulation of purulent contents.
Sepsis.
Tetanus.
The need for surgical intervention.

When urgently to see a doctor

The area of penetration of a foreign body has become a hard-to-reach place, for example, a nail or eye area.
A splinter is represented by particles of metal or glass.
There are clear traces of the inflammatory process, accompanied by.
If the splinter is represented by substances that can have a negative effect on the well-being of the baby.
The presence of jagged edges in a foreign body.
When the splinter was removed, the particle broke off and remained under the skin.
The presence of a crumbling glass structure.
The location of the splinter close to blood vessels or eyes.
The foreign object is more than half a centimeter in size.

First aid

Remain calm, do not panic in the child.
Make sure that the location of the foreign body is easily accessible, otherwise, you cannot do without the help of specialists.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, and treat the splinter area with soap and water.
If you decide to use tweezers, wash it well in soap and water, but it is better to treat it with an antiseptic or boil.
Gently remove the splinter, but always at such an angle at which the foreign body has entered the skin.
Treat the inflamed area with any available antiseptic.

If this method has not brought a positive effect, or the child shivers at the sight of tweezers, you can go the other way:

Use sticky tape or plaster. Glue it to the wound and tear it off slowly. If the splinter is located on the surface, it can help, and the baby will not be so scared.
Another option is to use glue that is applied to the splinter area, it is expected to dry, and carefully removed along with the foreign object.

When I drove a splinter, my mother removed it with a needle. She disinfected the instrument on the fire and, squeezing her finger, carefully removed the splinter, then treated the place with iodine or brilliant green. But I think that this method is quite unpleasant and painful, often she had to pick out the skin in order to take out a foreign body, blood began to ooze, and this was frightening.

No use of sharp objects

If you are interested in the question of how to remove a splinter from a child without a needle, then you can go in the following ways:

if the tip of a foreign object is visible above the skin, using tape or a plaster is suitable, cut off a small piece so that it covers only the area with a splinter;
a small pea of glue, which, when solidified, sticks to the protruding section of the chip and easily pulls it out;
Vishnevsky's ointment, ichthyol ointment, have a good stretching effect, compresses are used that can be left overnight;
balm Karavaev also has this ability, the main thing is to apply it in a thin layer.

When deeply located

How to get a splinter from a child if its head is at a certain distance from the surface of the skin? For this purpose, you can use the methods of traditional medicine.

Tie a scarlet leaf (pulp) to the wounded area, it has a good stretching property, it is also an antiseptic.
Tar is effective. They are advised to lubricate the affected area. Already after 25 minutes, you will achieve the expected effect.
A banana peel, tied with the inside to the site of the splinter, will also become effective.

What to do with an abscess

How to get a splinter out of a child's finger if it is accompanied by an accumulation of pus?

Use a weak potassium permanganate solution, it is important that the water is warm enough. Steam your finger.
You can disinfect the wound with a soda solution, for the preparation of which you will need a glass of warm water and a teaspoon of baking soda.
A piece of beet can be tied with a bandage to the place with an abscess. This vegetable has a suction action.
A good way is to use a crumb of bread, sprinkled with salt in advance and lightly chewed. Thus, a cake is formed, which is wound to the wound.
It is also recommended to wash the abscess area with soapy water.

Possible mistakes

There are cases when, due to their inexperience or due to ignorance, young parents aggravate the situation. Therefore, it is so important to know how to behave in order to prevent complications.

Attempt to extrude a foreign object. By such actions, you can provoke a deeper penetration of the splinter, its movement under the skin.
If a foreign body has the ability to absorb moisture, then steaming is strictly prohibited, so you will only contribute to the dissolution or separation of the object into particles.
An attempt to pick out a splinter with a clear violation of the integrity of the skin, deep penetration of a sharp instrument under the skin.
Pressure on the affected area is unacceptable. This can cause the penetrated chip to break or penetrate deeper.
Do not apply a thick layer of balm or ointment. This is fraught with inflammation and severe allergic reactions.
Waiting for the splinter to clear itself from under the skin is the most unwise decision. So parents can wait for the development of complications.

Traditional methods

Most often, it is traditional medicine that helps in this matter. Rarely does anyone run to see a doctor when a splinter penetrates the skin. As a rule, we turn to grandmother's methods. However, here it is worth considering the individual characteristics of the baby and his tendency to allergic reactions.

Aloe. A compress is applied, in which the pulp of a plant leaf is applied to the wound and bandaged for a couple of hours. Then the condition is checked, if necessary, the procedure can be repeated, but, as a rule, this is enough for the splinter to appear outward and be easily removed.
Tar. Apply a thin layer to the damaged area. Waiting time is at least 20 minutes.
Needle resin. Apply for 30 minutes after using the steaming bath.
Soda. A mushy product is being prepared. But be careful not to use a strong concentrate to prevent alkali burns. Make a compress for 30 minutes.
Salo. It is applied to the affected area, exclusively on this area, fixed with a bandage or plaster. The effect is checked after a few hours.
Banana peel. It is also fixed with a plaster to the affected area, it is important that the inner part of the peel touches the wound.
Potato. Raw vegetable is used. A slice of tuber is applied to the affected area for several hours, fixed with a bandage. Has a good pulling action.
Onion. Prepare the gruel by chopping the vegetable, wrap it in a bandage and apply a compress to the affected area of the skin. If there is no effect after the third procedure, you need to move on to another option. The main thing is to make sure that the child does not experience painful sensations when using the onion compress.

Now you know how to remove a splinter from a child. The main thing is to be absolutely calm, do not panic the baby. Use the method that is most convenient for you and your little one. Consider the location of the splinter and the depth of its penetration. Don't delay seeing your doctor if you experience any worrying symptoms. Remember the danger that even the smallest splinter can conceal.

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Splinters in a child are a very common phenomenon, which not only gives him trouble, pain, but can be a source of a dangerous infection. You need to know how to painlessly remove a splinter from a child at home, and when you need to see a specialist.

Steam baths

In cases where the splinter is located superficially and is clearly visible, but it cannot be taken by the outer end to pull it out, a hot soap and soda bath will help, it is prepared like this:

1 glass of hot water 55-60 ° С;
1 teaspoon of baking soda;
1 tablespoon of liquid soap.

The mixture is shaken well, a finger is lowered there until the solution cools completely, after which the edge of the splinter will be clearly visible through the steamed and soft edges of the entrance wound, it can be easily removed. Instead of liquid, it is better to use baby soap, pre-adjusting it and melting 1 tablespoon in 50 ml of water over low heat.

How to get a splinter from a child

It is very problematic to remove a splinter from a small child with a needle and tweezers. Only at the sight of tools does the baby start to cry, it is difficult to restrain him and a stressful situation arises.

Therefore, first you need to try less "barbaric" methods. The child needs to be reassured, distracted, there should be no panic in the environment. Then use painless methods, which in most cases are effective if the splinter is shallow.

Removal methods without a needle

Before pulling a splinter out of a finger without a needle, you first need to make a soda-salt bath, however, if the child is 5 years old or older, you can persuade him to hold his finger in the water for 15-20 minutes, then the small child will cry again and will not sit out the right time.

To do this, pour hot water (50 ° C) into a bowl, dissolve soda and salt at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 1 liter, put washable toys there - animals, dolls, boats, and the baby will be happy to bathe them.

Every 5 minutes you need to add a little hot water, the bath time is 15-25 minutes. Then the skin of the finger is gently dried with a soft cloth and proceed to one of the painless methods:

Sticking on a sticky plaster, tape or scotch tape on the finger, stand for 1-2 minutes, then remove it from the deep end of the splinter to the outside, it leaves along with the adhesive adhered to it;
Apply a couple of drops thick white synthetic PVA glue, holding your finger with the wound upwards, after the glue has completely dried, gently pry its end on the side opposite from the wound and quickly remove the "cake" along with the stuck splinter.

These methods are good if the edge of the thorn is clearly visible and extends beyond the surface of the skin. They are also effective if there are several thorns in the skin, for example, from contact with a thorny plant. Do not forget to treat the skin with an antiseptic solution after such a successful removal.(5% iodine tincture, Betadine, Chlorhexidine or Miramistin).

Removal method with tweezers and needles

It is possible to remove a splinter from a child's finger with tweezers if its "tail" protrudes outward above the level of the skin. It is carefully taken with the end of the tweezers, while, in order not to break off its end, the jaws are not pressed tightly. Gently pull in the direction that coincides with the line of the splinter.

If the end of the foreign body cannot be picked up, you can use a needle to open the outer layer of the skin over it.

To do this, the needle is placed perpendicular to the course of the splinter and slightly tear the epidermis, after which its end is exposed, which can be gently moved outward with the same needle and taken with tweezers, or through the same hole, gently grab the needle and pull up;

The general rules for both methods of removal are the observance of the elementary rules of asepsis:

Wash your hands well with soap, treat them with alcohol, miramistin or chlorhexidine;
Treat the skin in the area of a foreign body with 96 ° alcohol or 5% iodine;
Sterilize a needle or tweezers by baking a few seconds over a flame, or dipping it into a disinfectant solution (alcohol, chlorhexidine for 10 minutes);
After removal, be sure to treat the wound with an antiseptic, and if it gapes, apply a sterile bandage.

Instead of tweezers, it is good to use a drawing pen, having previously washed it with hot water and soap and sterilized with a disinfectant solution.

How to remove a splinter from a child's heel

If a splinter hits the heel, where the skin is thick, do not immediately try to pull it out, because it can easily break off. You must first soften the top layer of the epidermis with a compress with a soda paste. Its recipe is simple:

1 tablespoon of baking soda is diluted with a small amount of warm water to the consistency of gruel;
Apply a thick layer to the splinter area;
Covered with a piece of film, sealed with a plaster for 30-40 minutes.

After removing the compress, carefully remove the paste with a swab; through the enlarged wound, the end of the splinter is clearly visible, for which you can pull it out without pain from the child's leg.

What to do if the splinter is deeply embedded

In principle, deep splinters are a reason to urgently visit a doctor - surgeon or traumatologist. If this is not possible in the near future, you can try to remove the splinter from the child in at home using the following remedies:

Apply pharmacy birch tar or ichthyol ointment for half an hour, then rinse with warm water, repeat the procedure several times up to 2.5-3 hours;
Put a piece of fresh aloe leaf with pulp to the skin, glue with a plaster for 2-3 hours;
Apply to the damaged area for 30-40 minutes a piece of fresh banana peel with the pulp to the skin;
Apply a small piece of salted bacon for half an hour;
Apply soda gruel for half an hour.

As a rule, after such procedures, the splinter moves to the surface of the skin and becomes clearly visible and available for removal. However, these recipes are given as a last resort, you should strive to show the child to the doctor as soon as possible.

Danger of metal and glass splinters

A metal splinter can be in the form of a piece of wire, a thorn, a small nail, or metal shavings. As a rule, they are clearly visible in the skin, damage blood vessels, and the wound bleeds. After following the rules of asepsis, you can try to remove the foreign body with a magnet or tweezers, if the edge can be picked up.

If you cannot remove it without effort, you need to see a doctor. It must also be remembered that thin small metal objects (a piece of a needle, thin wire) can enter the blood vessels and migrate through the body through the blood stream, posing a great threat to health.

A glass shard penetrating the skin is always accompanied by a small cut wound. If the shard is clearly visible, you should first soften the skin in one of the above ways, and when the glass is at its surface, carefully remove. Do not apply strong squeezing with tweezers on a fragment, the glass may crumble and remain in the body. You need to take your child to a specialist.

When should you see a doctor?

Parents should be aware of what kind of splinters their children should not "tempt fate" when trying to remove them at home. Such splinters are:

Located in the face, scalp, neck, chest, armpits and groin, mucous membranes, under the nail plate;
Deep, which cannot be pulled out at home;
With the release of blood from the wound;
With symptoms of inflammation - edema, redness;
Glass and metal.

Also, after the first unsuccessful attempts to delete, you should not continue experimenting and waste time.

It is especially important to pay attention to splinters of an organic nature - from fish, meat, falling from the ground, they are potential sources of infection with dangerous microbes.

In the evenings and weekends, you can contact the nearest trauma center, which is open around the clock. For any kind of splinter, it is imperative to show the doctor a child who, for whatever reason, has not been vaccinated against tetanus.

Possible complications

A splinter that has not been removed is a potential source of infection, sooner or later it can lead to the development of complications such as:

Suppuration, abscess;
Subungual abscess, dangerous bone infection and the development of osteomyelitis;
Phlegmon;
Erysipelas;
Tetanus, especially with splinters that hit the street from the ground;
Bleeding - with deep splinters made of glass, metal in areas of the body with thin skin and close location of blood vessels.

Any splinters trapped in a child's body can become dangerous to his health, so their removal is mandatory.

At home, you can successfully remove only those that are superficial and easy to remove. At the slightest doubts and unsuccessful attempts, an urgent need to consult a doctor.

They say: “Little children are little troubles,” but every mother knows that even a little trouble for a baby can bring a lot of worries and problems. Kids, even the smallest ones, run and crawl wherever they want, gaining experience, bumps and splinters.

Oh, how many splinters we ourselves have collected in our life! But when this happens to their own child, many parents panic. How to help a baby when he cries and does not allow access to a sore spot with a needle?

Why not "leave it as it is"?

Mom gets nervous, grandma puts her glasses on her nose and pulls out a big needle, dad is angry that no one can handle such nonsense, and the child is crying. Maybe, well, her, this splinter? So small, what will happen to her?

Unfortunately, it is impossible to leave a splinter in a child's finger. The fact is that once it gets under the skin, it can introduce an infection there. After all, the splinter does not get under the skin from a sterile object, which means there is dirt on it.

Gradually, an abscess will develop around the wound and even felon may form - not the most pleasant disease. Here you will have to go to the surgeon and carry out a long and very unpleasant treatment.

What to do for parents: first aid

The most important thing is not to panic and thus not to scare the child. In a calm state, you can easily pull out the splinter yourself.

All my mother's sighs, my father's persuasions that it "doesn't hurt at all," and grandma's darning needle will make the child scared, cry, and it will be much more difficult to help him.

Below we will talk about the main methods of removing a splinter.

Preparation for splinter removal

If a foreign body (a thorn, a thorn, a piece of wood) has entered the skin deep enough, and you are not confident in your abilities, try first to soften the skin on the affected area.

There are three very simple ways to do this:

Steaming in hot water

Steam the skin in hot water. Of course, the water shouldn't burn, but be warm enough. You can make a hypertonic solution - add a teaspoon of soda and salt to the water.

In such a solution, the skin will not only soften, but also slightly relieve inflammation in the "sore" spot.

Aloe compress

Tie a regular aloe leaf to the skin where the splinter enters. Previously, he grew up on the windowsill in almost every apartment. Now it is not so easy to find it, but you can ask around from the neighbors. Or buy a ready-made plaster with aloe at the pharmacy!

This unique plant has both antiseptic properties and softens the skin.

Ichthyol ointment dressing

And one more way to "bring" a deep-seated splinter to the surface: make a bandage with ichthyol ointment. It has the ability to pull out an abscess, and will do the same with a foreign body. Check the condition of the affected area periodically. When the tip appears on the surface of the skin, you can pull it out.

Removing a shallow splinter

How to remove a splinter from a child if it "sits" shallowly?

Take a breath ... and calm down. Tell your child: “It's okay, just a splinter. We'll fix everything now! "
Wash your hands.
Treat the area around the splinter with something disinfecting - hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, even cologne or perfume. The only thing that will not work is brilliant green. It will be inconvenient to search for a "target" with it.
If the splinter is shallow and the tip sticks out from the surface, you can easily do without a needle. Take tweezers or mom's eyebrow tweezers.
So that the child is not afraid, "introduce" him to the tweezers - you can even lightly pinch his fingers so that the kid understands how the tweezers will help him.
Grasp the tip of the splinter and pull it straight, without jerking. That's all.

What if she sits deep?

If the splinter has gone deeper and you can't see the tip, try differently. In order to get it, you will have to cut the skin a little. Let's get ready.

Distract the child - a great, albeit not very pedagogical, way - chocolates, candies and cartoons. And mom will get an injured limb.
For greater convenience, you can fill the desired place on the skin with a solution of potassium permanganate. It not only disinfects the wound, but also stains the entry point of the foreign body. Now you can see it perfectly!

A sterile needle is now required. Previously, they simply calcined on fire or poured alcohol on a needle for sewing or darning, now it is not a problem to open a disposable syringe and take a truly sterile needle.
With the tip of the needle, gently pick up the skin at the entrance of the splinter and tear. The tip of the piece that has got under the skin will look out into the open place.
Now you can remove the splinter easily and quickly!

What to do if you can't extract it yourself?

It may also happen that parents cannot remove the splinter on their own. There is nothing wrong with that. You just need to pack up and see a doctor.

The main motive remains obligatory - do not frighten the child! It's really okay. The doctor will not perform horrible surgical procedures. He just has the right tools and experience.

In what other cases do you need to see a doctor?

You should also see a doctor if:

the foreign body has penetrated so deep that you cannot pick it up and pull it out;
even with a compress from ichthyol ointment, the situation does not change;
the affected area is reddened, swollen;
the place where the splinter penetrates "burns", there is pain (not even when pressed).

How long does it take to remove the splinter?

In medicine, there is the so-called "six-hour rule" - it is during this time that inflammation can develop in an infected place. This does not mean that you can not do anything for so long. However, the presence of this period of time saves you from the need to urgently remove the splinter with dirty hands "right now".

If the baby splinters on the street, you have time to walk to your home or pharmacy and treat the affected area. And only then, with clean hands, perform all the necessary manipulations.

How to protect a child from splinters?

Of course, this probability should be taken into account. The kid needs to be dressed for a walk in sufficiently tight clothes, through which he cannot splinter his skin.

Certain safety rules should be explained to the child: do not ride down wooden slides and do not climb trees in shorts and other clothes with open arms and legs, and also carefully handle objects that can provoke splinters.

But in general, it is difficult to completely avoid such situations. You don't want to force your child to always walk by the hand and deprive him of the opportunity to learn about the world and expand its boundaries. The main thing is to know about the safety rules and be able to properly cope with the situations that have arisen. Learn it yourself and teach your child.