Please help me cope

[lovbeingamommy]

Today has been one of the worse days of my life for a variety of reasons, but the most important reason being that when I gave my DS his bath this evening he happened to show me a small splinter in his finger about 1/2 in long. All the fears I thought were gone about tetanus came rushing back and I almost fainted and my DH had to take over. He put H2O2 on it and took out the splinter in two pieces and then put H2O2 on it again and left it in the open air.

I thought I was at peace with this issue and so confident and now I'm right back to where I was three yrs ago when I had to make this decision that everyone except my DH was against.

I'm so scared it didn't bleed. What could I do it was just below the first or second layer of skin. Is it ok? I searched and read all the other threads on splinters, but just tell me it'll be ok.

Please tell me other mamas have had this happen with splinters that don't bleed. Kids are kids and these things happen and it's ok, right? I need quick help...please. I thought I was so strong and I try to be the best mom that I can, but right now the thoughts going through my head are too much. Thanks for reading...I am just so confused right now

[mama_b]

He'll be fine. I've never seen a splinter bleed.

[Devaskyla]

He'll be fine. I second never having seen a splinter bleed, they usually aren't deep enough for that.

[Magali]

Don't worry mama. I am sure your babe will be just fine. But I do know how you feel, because I've been there. Keep us updated, ok?.

[Marnica]

: It'll be ok. There might be things to be concerned about with not vaxing. I don't think splinters is one of them. He'll be fine!! Splinters don't bleed. Adults get splinters all the time and most are not up to date on their tetnus boosters and don't go running to the ER for a TIG KWIM??
Hugs

[ema-adama]

This happened about a month ago to DS after a day exploring in the garden. I had to remind myself a couple of times that it was not a deep puncture wound. To be honest, the scariest thing was getting the splinter out and not wanting to hurt DS - but even that was a non issue.
. He'll be fine.

[Electra375]

Tetanus is in horse sh--. Was the splinter from dirt? What is the probablility the splinter actually has tetanus on it?

My pedi just gave me a line - tetanus is in dirt (as in all dirt) and as active as my little guy is I should consider the tenanus vax. Frankly, not all dirt is going to be contaminated with tetanus.

Her concern really has to do w the Tetanus Immuno-globilin, IGG is the only form of the "vax" that can be given after exposure. The pedi has a problem with this being made from blood products or she thinks I'm religiously against blood products.

So, essentially, if you have exposure the vaccine is not what you need. It has to be the IGG form. If an ER pushes vaccine, it's just a push for vaccine. If an ER pushes IGG, you know it's serious. If you question the doc pushing for vaccine after an exposure, mention IGG and see if they still push. It is the only way you will know if they are honestly concerned.

I've had the tetanus discussion before and a pedi in this office, she didn't know it wasn't in a single dose until age 7. I basically asked the question and let her go waste her time looking, she wouldn't have believed me if I just told her.

Simply put, if a child is exposed to tetanus there is a "cure". It is not a death sentence as it would have been when the vaccine was developed.

[just_lily]

I haven't had a tetanus booster ever. I got the first round of DTP as an infant, and then nothing since. I am now 29, so I am sure it has long since worn off.

I get splinters and other things stuck in my feet all. the. time. At least once a month my DF is digging something out of my foot (I am barefoot a lot). I have never had a problem.

[traycanadian]

My 5 yo unvaxed ds gets splinters all the time. They are nothing to worry about. Sometimes we take them out but a lot of the time we just leave them to work their way on their own. He's never even had one that got infected.

[alegna]

Honey- it's a *splinter* for gosh-sakes. He'll be fine. Think your grandparents ever got splinters? Probably HUNDREDS over the years- think great grandparents? Great uncles and aunts? Great great grandpa? All, hundreds of splinters. All before a tetanus vax. Any tetanus deaths in your family? I bet not.



I promise- it's fine.

-Angela

[shuttlt]

It's natural to panic. I'm in a panic at the moment about my boy losing loads of blood (or so it seems to me). I hope the anti-vax (I should probably say un-pro-vax?) people on the forum make you feel better. As someone whose heart is still, for better or worse, in a more orthodox place I have to agree with them. It is hugely unlikely that anything bad will happen. If one splinter, even a big one, was likely to cause tetanus I doubt the human race would have survived to invent vaccines to cure the things that the majority of people survived anyway.

[mamakay]

If one splinter, even a big one, was likely to cause tetanus I doubt the human race would have survived to invent vaccines to cure the things that the majority of people survived anyway.

That's what I was going to say.

Pediatric tetanus was always exceedingly rare. Like, "one case per hundreds of thousands of kids" type rare.

[Deborah]

unvaxed here

survived many, many splinters and a fair number of needle jabs (I like to sew), not to mention scrapes, scratches, bug bites and innumerable other injuries.

[EVC]

You know, as comfortable as I generally am with the decision not to vax, splinters are the ONE thing that do still scare me, so I completely sympathize with you on that. In fact, several months ago, I made almost the EXACT same post on this forum after dd got a splinter (and in a horse filled area, no less).

The thing is it CAN cause tetanus--there was just such a case a while back in Australia, I think? But it is EXTREMELY rare.

In addition, even on the off chance that you do get tetanus, it doesn't just kill you over night or anything. As I understand, you start with redness and then a nasty infection, at which point you go see a doctor and get an immunoglobulin shot (is that what it's called?).

At least that's how people consoled me when I made my frantic "dd got splinter now she's going to die of tetanus" post

[WhiteHorse]

Use hydrogen peroxide on it. He will be fine. Tetanus is very rare and deaths from it are very very rare.

[mamakay]

In addition, even on the off chance that you do get tetanus, it doesn't just kill you over night or anything. As I understand, you start with redness and then a nasty infection, at which point you go see a doctor and get an immunoglobulin shot (is that what it's called?).

Well, tetanus is basically never fatal in kids nowadays. It's not death you have to worry about..just the horrific nature of the disease.

Once you start to show symptoms of tetanus, though...it's not a matter of just getting the IG. Once there are symptoms, you're in for a nightmarish ride and a month in the hospital. The IG is most useful when gotten right after the injury, long before there are symptoms of tetanus.