Child's bruise

A bruise in a child is considered a relative norm, because a child must be a priori mobile, active and inquisitive. No parental prohibition will give as much useful life experience as an independent study of the surrounding world. Of course, injury trauma is different, especially if it affects the most vulnerable to parts of the body, which are traumatic, not only in the child, but also in the adult.

This applies to the face, head, back, neck and partially elbows, knees and ankles. Also it is necessary to be afraid of bruises at newborn children. These babies require a more attentive attitude in principle, since their body is just being formed, skills, including coordination ones, are not present at all, not to mention the experience that, for example, the three-year-old has.

It is generally accepted that newborns, like "plasticine", are not afraid of falls and blows due to good compensatory properties of tissues and bone system. This is partly true, but not so rosy. Any characteristics are effective in certain reasonable limits, and the margin of strength of the brain tissue of the baby is not unlimited, so you can not rely on the damping infant properties - it is better not to leave the kids unattended.

The first thing that, as a rule, worries parents how to distinguish a bruise from a child from a dislocation, stretching or fracture. From this differentiation depends algorithm of actions in general and first aid in particular.

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How to distinguish a child's injury from a more serious injury?

A child's bruise is a blow to the soft tissues, after which swelling and bruising are possible. The pain passes quickly enough, the kid calms down. The injured place is a little worried only when it is touched. All movements of the injured arm or leg remain the same, unchanged. Bruises, bruises come off gradually, together with swelling, usually within 10-14 days. 

A child's bruise can be similar to a dislocation, which is also possible in children. Due to the good elasticity of ligaments, fractures in infants are much less common than dislocations. A sign that distinguishes a child's bruise from a dislocation is the impossibility of bending the arm or leg, this causes severe pain. Also a threatening symptom may be an atypical appearance of the limb - a bend, an unusual turn and so on. Dislocation causes painful sensations even when touching the place of injury. This situation requires an immediate call of a doctor, and it is better if the child is delivered to a medical institution immediately after the injury, without waiting for the doctor to come. 

Fracture is a serious enough injury for a person of any age. Children's fractures, especially in young children who have not yet learned to speak, are worried that the child can only convey the sensations with crying and tears. With fractures, edema develops, and it is difficult to determine the localization of trauma in such cases visually. The signs of a fracture are:

Explicit deformation of bone, body part, face;

• Strong pain;
• Edema;
• Impossibility of motion of a damaged limb;
• A bruise or bruise on the site of the projection of the injury.

First aid, before the child is taken to a medical institution, consists in fixing the injured zone with a dry bandage, without directing or touching the place of damage at all. Clothing should also not be removed, the only thing you can do is cut the pant leg or sleeve. Shoes on the damaged leg should not be removed by yourself, so as not to damage even more bone or joint. You can apply ice or cold compress for 15-20 minutes, no more, so as not to disturb the blood circulation. With all the desire to reassure the crying baby, it is better not to take it on hand, so as not to supplement the trauma with movements.

How to treat a child's bruise?

The bruise of the child is treated quite simply, if it really is just a bruised injury. You should act in the following order:

• Immobilize, ensure peace, immobility of the damaged part of the body.
• Apply a dry bandage, pulling it not very tight so as not to disturb the blood flow, but at the same time, fix the place of damage.
• Apply a cold compress on the bandage - ice, cold object. As warming, compress to change. Cold lotions should not be kept for more than 20 minutes, they need to alternate with intervals of 15-20 minutes.

If the first day there are no symptoms similar to a dislocation or fracture, you can lubricate the site of the injury with special children's creams containing absorbable ingredients on a plant basis (Baby cream from bruises, balm "Healer for children" and so on).

The bruise of the child should alert the parents if:

• The injured limb is a hand, the leg has an unnatural appearance;
• A bruise in a child is accompanied by an emetic reflex, fever (older children may complain of dizziness);
• A bruise in a child is accompanied by loss of consciousness;
• A newborn child does not cry after falling, crying appears after 5-10 minutes (this indicates a short-term loss of consciousness and possible damage to the brain);
• The bruise of the child is accompanied by lacrimation, visible changes in the eyeballs (the child often closes his eyes, this happens involuntarily);
• A bruise in a child is accompanied by a strong, atypical drowsiness, a violation of breathing.

Bruising in children, despite its prevalence and apparent harmlessness, requires careful monitoring for several days. At the first disturbing signs, it is necessary to address to the doctor - it is better to be reinsured to exclude risk of serious damages.