Bruises on baby /child /infant | Bruise won’t go away – what can I do?

Bruises on baby /child /infant

Bruises are very common in children. They play a lot, are often still very clumsy and fall down, bump frequently or hurt themselves in some other way. Usually the bruises disappear by themselves within the next 1-3 weeks.

The smaller and deeper the bruise, the sooner it is no longer visible. Larger bruises may still be visible 8 weeks after the injury, as it takes longer for large bruises to disappear. Usually there is nothing that a parent needs to do except wait because of the bruises.

They are usually completely harmless and should not be a cause for concern. However, it is important to take a close look at the wound and the bruise in case of injuries. For example, if the child has been playing with something pointed like a pencil or wood, something could be stuck in the wound.

If he or she complains of very severe pain or holds the arm or leg in a relieving position for a long time, muscles or even bones may be injured. If the child has hit himself or herself at a higher speed or otherwise injured himself or herself a little more severely, the PECH rule (Pause – Ice – Compression – Raise) should be followed in order to prevent the bruises from becoming large and to relieve the pain: sport and exercise should be paused first. During the break, the injury should be cooled and some pressure applied to the injury with the Cool-Pack.

Take care not to apply ice directly to the skin, but to place it in a cloth. The injured limb can then be elevated. If the bruise is already visible for a few weeks, natural remedies or homeopathics such as arnica or Traumeel are often applied as ointments to the bruises to make them disappear more quickly.

However, the effectiveness of such remedies has not been proven. If a bruise has not disappeared or becomes larger after more than 8 weeks, a tendency to bleed or even leukaemia may be present in a few cases. However, these are less recognizable by the time it takes for the bruise to disappear than by other symptoms. These include the occurrence of bruising without adequate injury, frequent bleeding of the gums and nose, bleeding into the joints, the appearance of small, punctiform bleedings all over the skin, fatigue, weakness and the frequent occurrence of infections. If these signs occur in addition to the bruises, a paediatrician should be consulted immediately.

Location of the bruise

The arms and hands, as our main tool in everyday life and sports, are often bumped, cut or otherwise injured. The resulting bruises usually disappear within a few weeks. If the healing process takes considerably longer, this can also be a sign of an increased tendency to bleed – especially if the bruises are unusually large and further spots appear without explanation.

If a fall on the arm, an accident or a contusion at high speed is the cause of the bruise and the arm is very painful, it should be checked whether the arm is broken. Old people with osteoporosis are particularly prone to fractures of the upper arm. In addition, we move less often in old age and can sometimes tolerate pain better.

For this reason, it occasionally happens that a fracture is discovered several weeks after the injury. If there are no symptoms that indicate a dangerous cause of the bruise, it is possible to wait for 2 months before consulting a doctor. If the bruise is very painful when under pressure, pain-relieving medication such as ibuprofen or diclofenac can be taken as tablets or ointments containing diclofenac can be applied.

The leg, in particular the shinbone, is very often pushed against objects and therefore often shows bruises. The skin on the shinbone is very thin and lies practically directly on the bone. Therefore, the bruise leading to the bruise is often very painful: it presses directly on the very sensitive periosteum.

As long as the swelling and the bruise remain, pain is not unusual. If the bruise does not look unusual and occurs without further complaints, you can wait 8 weeks before consulting a doctor. If there is a strong pain in the foreground, especially when the leg is moved or strained, it should be checked whether the bone is injured.

The same applies to the treatment of bruises on the leg as for the rest of the body: the most effective remedy is to wait. Heparin ointment or natural remedies such as arnica ointment, comfrey ointment or Traumeel can be tried, but often do not work. If the appearance of the stain is disturbing, make-up can be used to cover it. If the bruises and swelling remain very large or painful, a small operation to remove the blood clot under the skin may be necessary.