Infections and Children

Just keeping up with your children can be a full time job - and even then you can’t be sure you see everything that happens. They get up to so many different things, hide away in the most improbable places and run ahead of you so fast that they can end up hurting themselves without you fully realizing it.

Smaller children are probably easier to keep in your sights, but maybe it’s the ones that are just a little older, so they can play outside, that need the most care. That’s because it’s so easy for them to get hurt, cut or scrape themselves, without telling anyone and without anyone realizing.

Maybe it’s because they don’t care about the cut, maybe they were doing something they weren’t supposed to be doing, or maybe because they didn’t even feel it happen. It’s these moments that are just inviting an infection to move right in because, more than likely, it could be a while before the cut is treated.

We all know that when a child (or an adult, for that matter) gets a cut, it needs to be washed right away and maybe even given a little triple-antibiotic ointment. We do this because we don’t want that small cut turning into a big infection that could not only hurt your child on the outside, but on the inside as well. Since it’s hard to watch for every bump, bruise, and cut an older child will get while running around, the best thing a parent can do is educate the child on what to do if they get cut. Not only that, but really explain why, so that they understand the importance of their cut not turning into an infection.

Signs of Infection

It doesn’t have to be a large cut to become infected, as any small cut or scrape can end up having an infection if it is not treated properly. And even then, even when you think you cleaned the hurt area properly, there is always a risk of infection. So, when you notice the child has a cut or a scrape, make sure that you keep a close eye on it by checking its progress every once in a while. As long as you’re taking the time to look, you’ll notice an infection immediately, if it does appear, and be able to seek medical help from your doctor or local hospital if it is really bad.

How do you know if there’s an infection? If you notice that the area has boils or other skin lumps, then you may be looking at an infection, which will need to be treated. Also, if you notice that the area that was scraped or scratched is extra sore, feels hot to the touch, or is showing some pus being released, then this is definitely an infection and medical attention by professionals should be given.

Finally, when you are looking at an infant or a very young child that has an infection, you may notice some peeling or scaling skin. If so, this should be brought to the attention of medical professionals.