What To Do If My Child Gets A Finger Caught?
The eagerness to discover new things causes your child to suffer domestic accidents, as can happen if a finger is caught in the door frame. Fortunately, you should know that this is a painful incident, but one that rarely requires medical assistance.
Most cases in which a child catches a finger occur from the moment he begins to crawl. These types of accidents become frequent, since to learn to walk, the child relies on everything that is close to him in order to find his balance.
As a mother, you shouldn’t be nervous when this happens. It is true that his screams and cries may cause you to panic, that you are afraid that a bone has been broken and that doubts arise as to whether or not you should take him to the emergency room. Therefore, we are going to give you some tips so that you know how to act in this type of situation.
What should I know if my child has a finger caught?
If your child gets a finger caught in the door, you should keep the following in mind:
- The incident can cause from a simple bruise without consequences to the complete amputation of the finger. It all depends on the severity of the accident, the impact of the blow and the heaviness of the door.
- These injuries usually include one or more elements of the finger, such as the nail, the bone, etc. We advise you to calmly examine the affected finger and see if it is necessary to go to the hospital.
How to act if my child gets a finger caught?
If your child gets a finger caught, the first thing to do is stay calm and examine his condition. Normally, the finger will be a little red, not too swollen, and the nail will hold well.
The procedure in these cases has a single objective: to try to calm the pain that the child is suffering. To do this, we recommend immersing your finger in cold water for 5 minutes and then offering it some pain reliever.
If there is a small superficial wound, you can disinfect the area and apply a bandage. Remember that the best remedy in those cases that are not serious is a good hug; it is sure to reassure you.
Also, these types of incidents usually affect the nail. You should know that when this happens, there is usually a simple bruise, although very painful, under it.
However, it can also happen that the nail becomes completely detached. If the latter happens, we recommend that you immediately take the child to the emergency room.
Exploration: how to act in the different cases?
In those cases in which a small bruise appears under the nail and it remains in place, it will not be necessary to consult a doctor as long as the bruise is less than 50% of the nail surface.
All you have to do is wait for it to fall. This will happen after 3 to 4 weeks, when it has reached a sufficient size. To ease your child’s pain, you can give your child pain relievers.
On the other hand, in those cases in which the hematoma occupies more than 50% of the nail, you must go directly to the emergency room for an examination, regardless of whether the nail remains in place.
The objective of this step is to establish a complete evaluation of the injuries and to rule out any type of fracture. In the event of a bone fracture, the focus of the fracture will be cleaned to avoid any bacterial contamination.
Finally, there are more remote and dramatic cases, such as a cut or amputation. These require that the child be hospitalized and operated as soon as possible, to replace the entire fragment.
How can I prevent the child from putting his finger on the door?
Certainly, most accidents of this type happen because the child inserts his finger in the door unconsciously. In these cases, there is only one solution to prevent the child from inserting his fingers into the frame: equip the doors with prevention systems.
In this sense, we recommend equipping the doors with very effective prevention systems. There are two types: aluminum profiles that cover the door with hinges at the child’s height and systems that prevent the door from closing.
In short, it is important that you pay special attention when the child begins to walk; these types of accidents are very common. Remember that if your child catches his finger in the door, you must remain calm and follow these directions!
