Rusty nail scratch on LO

[Aquafina]

my unvax lo got a scratch on the leg from a old antique chair made out of some weird fibers probably horse hair or something the nail was old and dark kinda rusty I sprayed it down with hydrogen proxide...I posted in h &h aswell

tia

[Calidris]

A scratch or a deep puncture?

Scratches are OK (as far as tetanus goes), tetanus bugs need deep puncture wounds.

And rust is not actaully the thing to worry about
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetanus...tion_with_rust

Tetanus is often associated with rust, especially rusty nails, but this concept is somewhat misleading. Objects that accumulate rust are often found outdoors, or in places that harbour anaerobic bacteria, but the rust itself does not cause tetanus nor does it contain more C. tetani bacteria. The rough surface of rusty metal merely provides a prime habitat for a C. tetani endospore to reside.

[Aquafina]

It looks like a cat scratch.I dont know if I should take a picture to show you.I dont think its deep its not like a gash but I will try and put a picture up to show because I am worried.It didnt bleed I put hydrogen proxiead on the boo boo and then it started bleeding..............


picture


http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/Photo234.jpg

[Aquafina]

Sorry to bug anyone but it just scares me that the chair was old and the nail. Please ease a moms worry

[lirpasirhc]

the pictures looks like it bled. if it bled, your DC is fine. tetanus can't produce the toxin in an environment with oxygen. that is why it is associated w/ puncture wounds in ppl w/ poor circulation.

[Mackenzie]

tetanus is not a concern with that injury

[snuffles]

Oh, one of our recliners has a nail or something that sticks out (I keep forgetting to tell DH to pull it out) and a few times my kids have had scratches that look exactly like that. I wouldn't worry, especially since you cleaned it right away.

[momofmine]

I personally would not worry about that at all. I probably would have done as you did, cleaned it with either just soap and water or maybe some diluted calendula tincture (see Aviva Romm's Naturally Healthy Babies and Children about that), or even peroxide. I do not like to put anything that is like an ointment or salve on things like that until they begin to scab. I sometimes use things like a tea tree/lavender oil combo on a scratch like that. But I personally would not be worried at all about that, because you cleaned it, and it is open to air, it is not deep.