Cuts
- Most children cut themselves from time to time but the results are rarely life threatening. However sharp objects (not just knives) can result in open wounds to children and may even amputate fingers and toes.
- The best way to help reduce the incidence of cuts in children is to use anticipatory supervision. Keep sharp knives and other cutting and chopping implements out of children’s reach. Place all sharp items away from the edges of counters and tables. If children do use such implements, help them learn to use them safely.
- Provide child safety scissors for young children to use.
- Go through the house and look for areas where children could run their hands along and so cut themselves.
- If children are in a playground or in some other area away from home, check the immediate and general area where they are playing and look for sharp objects. Don’t rely on others to have provided this safety net. While councils do an excellent job maintaining equipment, there are always areas of the play equipment that might be hazardous. Take just a few minutes as your children jump on the equipment to assess whether there are any areas that you want to make sure that they stay away from or that you can inform them to stay away from.
- Remember some plants have sharp edges that can give nasty cuts. You may want to remove these plants from contact level for children.
- If the child has a cut, quickly provide pressure to the area and assess whether the cut is either too long or too deep for simple first aid. If it is a small cut, apply pressure for about 10-15 minutes and the bleeding should come to a stop. If the cut is deep, quickly wrap something around it and take the child to a medical practitioner or into the emergency room as medical attention might be needed. If the cut is extremely deep and bleeding is not stopping, keep the pressure on it, ring 000 and request an urgent ambulance.
