Treating a Human Bite
by jmmillerIt happens from time to time… children get too excited, rambunctious, and aggressive at daycare. Sometimes, one child will bite another.
As a parent, any number of thoughts could be running through your head. You may be afraid of your child developing a bacterial infection, or that they may have transmitted a serious disease.
Thankfully, this is rarely the case. Daycare bites rarely break the skin. In cases where the skin has been broken, the biter would have to be in a high-risk category to cause any worry.
Children who have not been vaccinated against Hepatitis B could be considered high risk biters. The risk of transmission is low, and is non-existant if the skin was not broken.
An HIV positive biter, even when breaking the skin, has only a miniscule chance of passing the virus to the unfortunate bitten child. In fact, the chance is so small that the risks of treating the bitten child with anti-HIV drugs are far greater.
If your child is bitten at daycare, carefully examine the wound. If the skin is intact, gently wash the area and apply ice. Depending on the pressure when the child was bitten, they may develop a small bruise.
If the skin has been broken, allow the wound to bleed for a moment, to flush out any bacteria. Gently wash the area and pat dry. Apply a mild antiseptic and cover with a clean bandage. If you are concerned, call your family doctor and ask them to examine the bite wound.
Anytime a child is bitten and the skin is broken, check their vaccination records to be sure theit Tetanus shot is up to date. If not, take them to the doctor immediately.
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