My daughter was bitten by another child today at summer school. The boy was 6, she is 9. The teacher said the entire thing was unprovoked. The child just went up and bit her arm.
Only one tooth broke the skin and the hole is overall very small. I was told by the teacher and daughter that it bled a lot when it happened and throughout the day. Even now hours later it still has on and off bleeding. It doesn't appear To be deep. It is located in a spot that I think keeps getting bumped/touched and likely the cause for the bleeding. I cleaned it with antibacterial soap and then did a bandaid with Neosporin.
I sort of feel silly for considering the doctor since it is such a tiny thing. I'm just concerned since his tooth did break the skin that there could be potential infection even if it is very small? Would it be crazy to message the doctor about this? Is treating at home okay to do? I've been lucky enough to avoid biting incidents up until now so I'm not sure how to handle it.
Yes I’d have the doctor look at it.
There should be an incident report from the camp.
And the 6 yr olds parents should be told by the camp as well.
I’d be upset my kid was assaulted and injured at camp.
Document everything.
Additional:
If she was bit through an artery and it won’t stop bleeding you might need to take her to an Urgent Care.
I always think it makes far more sense to message or call the doctor than to wait for internet responses from moms. The whole point of having a pediatrician is to have access to answers. You could even send a photo of the wound if you like.
I am a little concerned that it keeps bleeding, so I’d consider a pressure bandage and more Neosporin. Take a sterile gauze pad, fold it in quarters, and tape it over the bite so it’s a bit tight. Then don’t mess with it for a few hours - taking the bandage off to check a lot can disturb the clotting and reactivate the bleeding.
I’d also be looking for a written incident report ASAP. I’d be curious why it “bled a lot throughout the day” and no one called you. I’m not an alarmist about illnesses and cuts but I am surprised no one called you.
My go to is the Mayo site - and it recommends seeking medical care.
I think what can be of concern is if this kid had a virus and if your child has had her shots. Better to just call and check. (I’d call and see what they say. They can always get back to you. I do that when I don’t know whether a visit is warranted. There’s often a nurse on duty who can advise.)
Agree with other comments, call the pediatrician and ask what they suggest. Perhaps there is a way you can even upload a picture of the injury. My doctor has a patient portal through which I can send him messages and include pictures/documents/referrals for him to see. I would normally say no, but if it keeps bleeding like you say, it’s worth asking. In the meantime, make sure to use Neosporin or something similar to prevent infection. You may also want to consider going to urgent care.