How can I tell if my child needs stitches for a cut?
– Andrea
Most kids get bruises, scrapes, and cuts from time to time. Many small cuts can be treated at home by washing the wound and using a bandage. But it's important to know when a cut might need medical care or even a few stitches.
Your child may need stitches if a cut:
If a cut is spurting blood, an artery might have been nicked. It's important to put pressure on the wound with a clean cloth right away. The wound should be checked at an urgent care clinic or ER as soon as possible.
These guidelines can help you decide if a cut needs stitches. But doctors in your local clinic or emergency room are the ones will know for sure.
A healing cut can get infected, so doctors clean them carefully. At home, help prevent infection by taking good care of the cut as it heals.
Check the wound every day. Some mild redness around it is normal. But call the doctor right away if:
A health care provider will take out the stitches later. How long they stay in depends on the kind of cut and where it is. Sometimes, doctors put small white sticky tapes (butterfly bandages) over the stitches to give them extra strength. These tapes loosen in a few days and fall off on their own.
Most cuts, even those fixed by stitches, leave a small scar. That's because when the deeper layer of the skin is injured, the body uses the protein collagen to help fill in the cut area. The filled-in area becomes a scar. Over time, some scars fade or get smaller.
Reviewed by: Kate M. Cronan, MD
Date Reviewed: Nov 11, 2019
