Small children are prone to injury when they are first learning how to walk. If you have a small child, you will want to be diligent in making sure they are safe around your home in an attempt to avoid unnecessary injury. You can take steps to help avoid falls, but sometimes you cannot be fast enough to prevent your child from smaller injuries when learning how to walk. Here are some tips you can use to help treat these falls.

Scrapes Or Cuts

If your child gets a scrape or a cut from falling, you will need to treat it quickly so that there is no risk of infection. Clean the affected area with water to remove any dirt that may have gotten into the cut. If there is a lot of bleeding, you will want to apply pressure to the wound until the blood begins to clot. This usually takes a few minutes of holding a clean washcloth on the area to stop the bleeding.

Afterward, use an antibacterial cream to help keep germs from getting inside the wound. Place a piece of gauze or a bandage over the area to keep it clean. If the bleeding is profuse and does not stop, you will need to bring your child to a doctor or hospital to be checked.

Bruising

If your child falls, you may notice some bruising in the area where their body had hit the floor. Use ice on the area to keep swelling down. Place ice inside a plastic sandwich bag and wrap it with a washcloth or hand towel. Apply to the area for about twenty minutes to help keep it from swelling. You will want to repeat this procedure a few times.

Bruising will usually show up a few hours after the fall has taken place. It may begin as a purple color and will then fade to an orange, yellow or green color after a few days.

If your child hits their head, you will want to keep a close watch to make sure there is no risk of concussion. Do not allow your child to fall asleep even though they may seem sleepy after the hit.

You will want to be able to monitor their responses to questions to make sure that there are no bigger head injuries that occurred from the fall. If your child is unresponsive, or if they seem to have trouble speaking or answering your questions, bring them to a doctor right away for a concussion analysis.

If you have more concerns or questions about your child's injuries or overall health, contact an experienced family doctor like Thiele Kim DO PC.