Winter is a great time of the year when the baby can not only take a walk in the fresh air, but also have fun on the street. Sledding, snow games deliver a lot of positive emotions and impressions to children of any age. However, consequences such as hypothermia and frostbite of a child’s cheeks can overshadow all the positives from winter landscapes and walks. Preventive measures will help prevent such situations, but if you still could not save the cheeks of the crumbs, parents should know how to help.
Causes of frostbite
Many of the parents make a huge mistake in thinking that the cause of frostbite of children can only be a low air temperature, namely -10 ° C and below. In fact, the increased humidity of the air and the cold north wind adversely affect the exposed areas of the child’s skin. In such weather, even on those winter sunny days, when the thermometer does not fall below -5 ° C, walking with the children should not be long or you should refrain from walking at all. This is especially true for infants who have not yet learned how to independently regulate heat transfer.
You should not interpret such recommendations of pediatricians in your own way and protect the little person from the street as much as possible in cold weather, this can do much more harm than short-lived games in the cold. For example, Komarovsky, a well-known pediatrician, calls the slight frostbite of the cheeks of a child a common occurrence in the winter season. Sometimes it can be mistaken for an ordinary blush and just moisturize the baby's cheeks with a nourishing cream. Therefore, in order to preserve the health of their heir, it is better for parents to adhere to the middle ground and, depending on weather conditions, adjust the time of the walk, but not refuse it.
What is frostbite?
Probably, many people remember from the lessons of anatomy that the feeling of cold under the influence of external low temperatures is nothing more than a protective reaction of the human body. She testifies of one thing - that the vessels are narrowed and heat transfer is disturbed. There are many small capillaries in the skin, which can not only narrow in the cold, but also completely cease to fulfill their functions. As a result, the skin remains defenseless, and some of its cells can suffer and even die. It is these processes, better known as “frostbite,” that occur in the human body, which has been in the cold for a long time.
Signs of frostbite on the child’s open skin
The skin of babies has a special sensitivity, so parents should not compare their feelings with children. And the first signs of frostbite in a child's cheeks can be determined visually. When the baby’s usual blush disappears in the cold, and the skin becomes very pale or white spots appear, you need to urgently go home. If in a warm room the affected areas of the skin in 5-10 minutes have regained their usual color, there is no reason for excitement. But if this does not happen, and the child has additional signs of frostbite, such as trembling, drowsiness, or, conversely, increased irritability or talkativeness, measures should be taken immediately.
Of course, one should not forget about the individuality of the crumbs, because active behavior can be characteristic of him constantly, and excessive drowsiness indicates that the young traveler is tired or it's time to sleep. But if, after a walk, a decrease in body temperature to 35 ° C is added to a child’s pallor of the skin , abrupt speech and difficulties with pronunciation of words are observed, there is no doubt about frostbite. As a rule, with these symptoms, the affected skin loses its sensitivity and becomes hard, which requires immediate treatment. And if mommy has doubts that a frostbite of the cheek is obtained in a child, photos of the manifestations of this disease will help determine. Even from the images, parents can understand how serious the problem is.
What to do if you have problems
Many parents do not notice the first symptoms of frostbite or simply ignore it, considering it to be an individual feature of the child’s body, which inflicts even greater harm on their child. The slightest changes in his condition or visual changes in the skin should be cause for concern. So, what needs to be done after discovering the first symptoms of frostbite in the children? Little know-it-alls should be taken from the street to a warm room. Hot drink in these situations will help restore the body's blood circulation, but in this case it is important not to overdo it. Excessively hot milk or tea, the child may simply refuse to drink, you do not have to force him, it is better to give him drinks at more familiar temperatures. After all, the purpose of such a procedure is not to burn the body from the inside, but simply to warm it. Further activities should depend on the degree of frostbite of the small cheeks. If the cold only slightly touched the face of the crumbs, then warming up may be quite enough.
Treatment of hardened skin
If, as a result of frostbite, the exposed areas become hard, then in no case should you begin to massage them on the street. Such actions will damage the delicate baby skin, it can even lead to rupture of its upper layers, which will cause the baby a lot of pain. You must first warm up the little know-it-all in a warm room, give a warm drink and only after that proceed to restore blood circulation in the affected areas. If the child has severe frostbite of the cheeks, treatment should be carried out by a qualified specialist.
But there are times when such an option is impossible for some reason, so parents must cope with the situation on their own. You need to be patient and give your child first aid. To do this, the affected skin should be moistened with petroleum jelly or any nourishing cream. Then, in a continuous circular motion, massage the hardened areas. The baby, of course, will be an opponent of such therapy, since pain when touched can intensify significantly, but this is the only way to restore blood circulation in frostbitten tissues.
Events with severe defeat
To combat severe frostbite of the child's cheeks is necessary only under the supervision of specialists. Therefore, if the baby’s skin is not only hardened, but they also show signs of capillary ruptures that resemble plexus of thin threads under the skin, you need to call the ambulance immediately. In addition, such a severe frostbite of the cheeks in a child can be complicated in the warmth by the appearance of watery blisters, which should never be touched.
But this does not mean that before the arrival of the ambulance, the baby cannot be helped on its own. Again, the baby should be drunk, put on clothes made from natural fabrics, or wrap him with a blanket. In case of severe pain, you can give your child the painkillers Nurofen, Ibufen, etc., the main thing is to remember to inform the ambulance doctors about this. The main task of parents in such a situation is to alleviate the suffering of their child and not aggravate the condition of frostbitten cheeks. And further measures aimed at treating a small patient should be carried out by specialists.
Which kids are at risk
Some mothers believe that only inattentive and nonchalant parents can get severe frostbite on a child’s cheeks. However, this is baseless speculation. Children with atopic dermatitis, exudative diathesis, and paratrophy can severely frostbite open skin. The manifestations of these diseases are very similar to the symptoms of frostbite, so even the most caring and attentive mothers can easily make a mistake with the diagnosis. In addition, the skin of babies after viral infections, stress and overwork is very susceptible to low temperatures, so these babies most often get severe frostbite. And it is better to be treated in such situations under the supervision of doctors. This can be either inpatient treatment or home treatment with regular visits to a medical facility.
Treatment of severe frostbite in a hospital
The first thing that the doctor will do is to assess the degree of frostbite, then the child will be prescribed a comprehensive medication. Initially, a small patient will be prescribed “Analgin”, “No-shpa” or “Aspirin” medications, which relieve pain and thin the blood. For superficial treatment of affected skin, doctors recommend using Bepanten, Vital, Traumeel, or Levomekol ointments. If a deep frostbite of the cheek is diagnosed in a child, treatment may include a course of antibiotic therapy, which will prevent inflammation of the soft tissues. Such a medication will be selected by the attending physician taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient and the complexity of the disease, as well as the multivitamin complex.
Frostbite Prevention
Everyone knows that every disease is easier to prevent than to treat later. Therefore, when going for a walk on a frosty winter day, do not neglect the recommendations of pediatricians. Lubricate the child’s cheeks with a protective cream, wear clothes made from natural fabrics, be sure to protect the neck with a scarf, but do not overdo it, they should not wrap the face. Otherwise, at low temperatures and windy weather, frostbite in a child's cheeks can be a real problem. Walking time should be clearly adjusted, and as soon as a feeling of cold begins to appear, you need to immediately go home.