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Fingers and toes pain a lot when hurt. That is because they are supplied with a rich network of nerves which transmit messages of pain to the brain making the child acutely aware of them. Apart from tiny burns and cuts on the fingers, the most usual injury involves bruising under the nail. Fingers could get trapped between doors, folding chairs and hinges and toes could get hurt by heavy objects falling on them.
If your child has bruised himself under the nail so that blood is seeping out of it, you are in for a painful week. The bruised area will swell up against the unyielding nail. You may be able to minimise the bleeding if you hold the finger under cold running water or hold a well-wrapped packet of frozen peas against it. This will close up the small blood vessels and the blood that has already seeped out will form a black clot inside the nail.
If you can see blood under the nail, take him to a doctor. The doctor will puncture the nail and release the free blood. The pressure applied will remove all the pain. But, this procedure works only if it is done within an hour of injury, before the blood inside clots. If the doctor is too busy and cannot attend to your child immediately, there is no point waiting for him.
The fingers and toes have very small bones which can get injured easily. You have to be very careful about its treatment so that it does not heal out of shape. Always seek professional help in case finger and toe injuries. And fingers and toes need to be protected well too. Use finger dressings so that the child is able to use the finger if possible.
Safety tips
Things that pinch fingers - folding chairs, ironing borads, clothes horses can all blacken nails or break fingers if the child tries to set them up or play with them.
Get hinge protectors fixed on to your doors. They can be quite useful in protecting your child's fingers.
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