Pre-School and Daycare
wawa84
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Stitches care?
wawa84
member
On Sat. my son had to get stitches at the very bottom of his middle finger next to his ring finger. They are horizontal on the middle finger almost to the area between the two fingers. I noticed today that the area is too wet and his skin is white (like you stayed in the bath too long) and soft. The wound is splitting because the area is too moist and the stitches can't hold it together. DS keeps that hand balled up or with his fingers together at all times because of the stitches.
I've tried putting gauze on the area and wrapping it slightly in hopes that the gauze would absorb some of the moisture. I don't think it's working and I know the area needs to breath. I have it now where his pointer and middle fingers are wrapped together and his pinky and ring finger are together. My theory was that then he couldn't ball his hand up, and maybe the area could breath and dry out.
I'm not sure what to do. I don't know if there is anything I can do. I don't want the stitches to pull out or the wound to reopen any more than it already has. Any advice or ideas? I would really appreciate it.
I've tried putting gauze on the area and wrapping it slightly in hopes that the gauze would absorb some of the moisture. I don't think it's working and I know the area needs to breath. I have it now where his pointer and middle fingers are wrapped together and his pinky and ring finger are together. My theory was that then he couldn't ball his hand up, and maybe the area could breath and dry out.
I'm not sure what to do. I don't know if there is anything I can do. I don't want the stitches to pull out or the wound to reopen any more than it already has. Any advice or ideas? I would really appreciate it.
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Re: Stitches care?
DS had stitches on his pinky over 3 months ago.
That happened to us as you described.
We wrapped his finger with a bandage before he went to daycare for the whole week. As soon as we got home we took off the bandage and aired it out in the evenings and overnight.
I forgot to mention that the only time I have been wrapping it is when he is at daycare. I didn't want the teachers to have to worry about washing the area, it getting dirty and then infected, etc. The problem is that when it isn't bandaged DS keeps his hand balled up into a fist. It is getting sweaty and can't dry out.
Hmm. Maybe try to air it out when he is asleep.
I take the bandage off when we get home, so the opportunity for it to breathe is there. It is off when at bed time. I don't know if he's keeping his hand balled up while he's sleeping or if he is laying with it under the pillow. I really have no idea. Maybe it's just inevitable that it is going to reopen and we will just have to deal with it. Ugh...I'm really stressing over this.
DS still balls up his hand where he got stitches when washing his hands. To this day he looks at his hand, opens his hand and shows people his "owwie."
I guess it maybe natural for our DS's to do that over the wound.