Medical voice: As any parent will tell you, small cuts and minor grazes are unavoidable among small children. Such cuts and grazes will usually need little or no treatment. The bleeding will clean the wound naturally, and it should stop within a few minutes, as the blood clots and dries. More serious cuts may need to be gently cleaned with soft cotton and warm water. They should then be dressed with a clean cotton bandage.
Follow this simple checklist of questions. Ask yourself each of these questions in order to make sure you treat cuts and grazes properly:
First. Is the cut on the face? If it is, call a doctor as soon as possible - especially if the eye is injured.
Second. Is the cut bleeding badly? If it is, put a clean piece of cotton wool over it and press down firmly for about five minutes.
Thirdly. Ask yourself if the cut is still bleeding badly. If it is, dress it with a clean cotton bandage and call a doctor as soon as possible.
Fourthly. Is the cut a deep one, and is it wide open? If it is, clean the cut gently, with clean cotton wool and a little warm water, then hold it closed with an adhesive dressing.
Fifth question. Was the cut made by a nail or a long, sharp piece of wood? If it was, there may be some dirt in the cut. Let it bleed for a while, to clean itself. Then clean it with cotton wool and warm water and dress it with a clean cotton bandage.
Finally, don't forget that young children can become very easily upset or shocked by a cut - especially if it is a serious one. Try to keep them calm, and quiet. Don't give them anything to drink but keep their lips wet with a little water.