I need some FIRST AID advice.....

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-30-2003
I need some FIRST AID advice.....
1
Wed, 07-21-2004 - 12:37pm
I can't seem to get ahold of anyone around here to answer my question, so maybe some of you might know how to deal with this...

About a week and a half ago, my 2.5 yr old smashed her index finger while playing at someone else's house under DH's care. I never did find out what really happened, but she never really was "too" upset about it either (so he says). A couple days later, her fingernail was completely purple, but it didn't really phase her....

Today she showed me that the ENTIRE nail is pulled up off the nailbed, but it's still securely attached at the bottom. It looks like a loose tooth. It still seems to not be bothering her, so I don't wanna mess with it too much. Should I pull it? Will it even fall off on it's own? Won't it hurt worse if I leave it and it gets caught on something and rips off? If I trim it down really short, will the rest fall off later? If it doesn't fall off on it's own, will it be in the way for the new nail to grow in? I can't see a new nail underneath it yet.

I think it's bothering me more than it is bothering her, but I remember how upsetting it was for me to loose a nail when I was little. For now, I just stuck a bandaid over it, holding it down, but I know that's not going to last long on a 2 yr old's finger. ;)

I'm just afraid of handling this wrong. Have you had experiance with this? This is the first time for me as a mother, and I don't remember exactly what my Mom did when it was mine so many years ago.

Angie

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-12-2003
Wed, 07-21-2004 - 12:43pm
o god, i HATE those!! what you do is very gently, using nail scissors, but the detached portion of the nail off and leave the part that's still stuck, then wrap the whole thing in a bandaide and wait for it to either grow out or fall off on it's own. don't pull it off, it will hurt and possibly make things worse, but don't leave the hanging part b/c it will likely get ripped of or infected.

hth, poor honey!! (you that is, dd sounds fine!!)