We all know how accident-prone kids can be. Most of the time, boo-boos are nothing to worry about, but sometimes a cut or laceration may require turning to your pediatrician for stitches. Telltale signs your child might need stitches: the cut is still bleeding after five minutes of pressure, is more than half an inch deep or longer, is around their eye, is on their face or neck and longer than a quarter inch, is gaping open, has an object sticking out of it, or is spurting blood.
When should I call the pediatrician?
If in doubt about whether or not your child may need stitches, call your pediatrician. With telehealth visits, many pediatricians can now look at images of the injury and determine whether the child needs to come in. Even if the cut doesn’t need stitches, you should still see the doctor if it was made by a rusty or metal object, shows redness or swelling, was from an animal bite, hasn’t healed within 10 days, or is still severely painful after a few hours.
Cuts and wounds made by metal, rusty, or dirty objects may require your child to get a tetanus shot within 2-3 days after the injury.