Falls are very frequent among children. When running, climbing and playing, it is normal for them to hit and hurt their mouth, usually a cut or laceration on the skin of the lip. They seem very paratosas because they usually bleed and swell a lot, but they recover very soon.
If you have small children, it will happen sooner rather than later, so it is preferable to be informed about how to cure the child if a cut has been made on the lip.
It is an area that usually bleeds a lot and swells quickly, it gets pretty ugly and can be scary to see so much blood, you and the child, of course. So the first thing is to keep calm and try to reassure the child to be able to assess the size of the wound and give first aid.
The first thing you should do is cut the bleeding. For this you will need a clean cloth or a sterile gauze with which you must press for a few minutes.
The second step is clean the wound with water, if you allow it to run from the tap stream, better to drag any dirt, especially if it has hit the ground. Remember to wash your hands if you are going to touch the area but never rub or try to remove skin debris.
Once clean, give it some ice cubes wrapped in a cloth or in a bag, or if you can suck it with your lips, the better. The cold will help lower the swelling and finish cutting the bleeding.
These are the first aid you should give at home. The cuts on the lips close quickly and do not usually need sutures, but there are cases in which they do. When the wound is clean and you can really see the magnitude of the cut you should assess whether the cure you have done is enough or needs medical attention.
When to see a doctor if the child has made a cut in the lip?
- If after 10 minutes putting pressure on the wound, the bleeding does not stop.
- If there is a deep cut of more than one and a half centimeters.
- If the cut has occurred with a sharp, rusty or dirty object. You may need the tetanus vaccine if you haven't received it lately.
- If the cut has irregular edges.
- If it has embedded dirt that you have not been able to clean.
- If at hours or the next day you notice signs of infection or temperature.
