(HealthDay News) -- Splinters, while they may be painful for young children, can be easily treated at home.
Here's a list of first-aid suggestions for splinters, courtesy of Children's Hospital Boston:
- Calm the child.
- Wash your hands and the affected area.
- Sterilize a needle or tweezers using a match flame.
- If the tip of the splinter is exposed, try to pull it out using the tweezers.
- If the splinter is slightly underneath the skin, prick the skin using the needle and try to pull it out using the tweezers.
- If the splinter is embedded underneath the skin, and you cannot remove it, call the child's physician.
- Monitor the area for signs of infection, which may include swelling, redness or drainage.
