Active discussions

Help end medical misogyny. Sign our petition.

Help end medical misogyny.
Sign our petition.

Sign the petition

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Is a small cut dangerous to swim in the sea with?

105 replies

PattyDuckface · 09/08/2024 21:30

So, there's not much more to add to the title apart from "please help, and give me advice".

I am on holiday in Italy and my child got a cut on their toe from stubbing it. Some blood but the pain subsided after 20 minutes.

Now my DH is saying it's dangerous to swim in the sea with a cut. He thinks our child must not swim until it's healed, which will totally ruin our holiday as it is 37 degrees here.

I had no idea about this being dangerous and I checked it out online but was surprised to read that there are dangerous bacteria in the sea and swimming with a cut is not recommended.

Can anyone clarify this. The cut he has is very small, it's not a wound.

OP posts:
Edingril · 09/08/2024 23:36

So going by this logic seawater will get in eyes, mouth which is all normal but a cut suddenly makes it dangerous how?

MumblesParty · 09/08/2024 23:37

Of course it’s fine to swim in the sea! How can anyone think it isn’t?!!

LadyJaneGreyandhercat · 09/08/2024 23:38

Salt water is very good for healing cuts so long as it doesn’t contain sewage or pollutants or algae . I wouldn’t do it in this country because the water is often polluted, but definitely would abroad.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Children's health General health
Dilbertian · 09/08/2024 23:43

When my dd was a toddler she was injured on holiday. She had a substantial open wound on her hand. The hospital doctor said that as long as the wound was well covered (so no sand could get in) and we redressed it every day, she was fine to swim in the sea and pretty much do whatever she liked. He advised that she did not swim in chlorinated pools, but that seawater was likely to support healing.

We cleaned and dressed dd's hand every evening with fresh gauze and bandages and taped a clean sock over the bandages.

DD's hand healed cleanly and the rest of her holiday was not spoiled at all. We were actually gobsmacked to see her happily digging in the sand, given the severity of the wound!

So I'd say your dc is probably fine to swim with a small cut.

EliflurtleAndTheInfiniteMadness · 09/08/2024 23:45

otravezempezamos · 09/08/2024 23:35

Me too!!!

Unless you are swimming in a shark tank your husband is clearly trying to trash your child’s holiday.

Show quote history

Me too.

People swim in the sea all the time with cuts. I wouldn't ruin my holiday over I. Put a bandaid on her and go in. My XH and I both grew up by the coast in a warm country. Couldn't count the number of times I've gone swimming in the ocean with cuts. I'm very clumsy so I often have cuts. Salt water may sting, but seemed to speed up healing for me.

Renamed · 09/08/2024 23:49

If it is clean sea, it will help

papadontpreach2me · 10/08/2024 00:33

Can you cover it with a waterproof plaster?

PearlClutzsche · 10/08/2024 00:42

When my daughter was two, she was covered in red, sore, broken and weeping eczema over much of her body. We spent a day in the sea - in Mallorca - and she came out CURED. Literally not a mark on her. It was like a miracle cure.

In short, it's fine, OP

EBearhug · 10/08/2024 00:43

When I had an abscess, I was told not to swim in the pool till it healed. I was a bit sad I was meeting friends st the beach at the weekend- the nurse was quite enthusiastic about that - and I had been told to take salt baths twice a day while it healed.

So unless it's actively bleeding, I would.

seasonnaire · 10/08/2024 02:07

I worked on beaches for a while, the water sports instructors dreaded cutting their feet because it was hard to heal while in and out of the water all day, the wounds never had time to dry out and grew, spray plaster wasn't much use, I remember them taping the big cuts closed.

I doubt a small cut and a few days holiday will be a major issue but I can see the sense in keeping it dry til healed.

fridaynight1 · 10/08/2024 02:25

Does your DH spend a lot of time on TikTok?

alexdgr8 · 10/08/2024 03:09

vibrio etc.
global warming is increasing the risk.
yout husband is right.
better to be safe than sorry.
esp with a child.
they cannot assess the risk, so cannot make an informed choice.
that's how i see it.

StarlightLady · 10/08/2024 04:04

I think it depends how clean the sea actually is. But l am not a medic and neither are many posting here. Ask a pharmacist. She may also be able to suggest a waterproof dressing.

Fudgetheparrot · 10/08/2024 05:25

Olivebrancholivia · 09/08/2024 21:39

“She said that people shouldn't be scared to go in the sea because what happened to her dad is 'so incredibly rare' and 'not what (her) dad would have wanted' as he was an avid swimmer”

mytuppennyworth · 10/08/2024 05:28

Grandmasswagbag · 09/08/2024 21:32

Never heard of this. I always think the salt water is good for cuts and skin things. Unless you're in an area that's massively polluted I wouldn't worry about it.

sea water is NOT good for cuts, sea water is full of bacteria, and dangerous for cuts. There is a possibility of blood poisoning. Particularly on legs and feet. Depends on the cut OP. Can you disinfect it and put a waterproof dressing on?

Hectorscalling · 10/08/2024 05:47

Honestly, the article itself points out that it’s incredibly rare.

and if that man’s tragic situation stops you swimming in the sea with cuts it should stop you swimming the sea at all. You could have broken skin and not be aware.

As for a child making an informed choice, that’s what parents are for. The child couldn’t make an informed choice about going on the holiday at all and any risks that come with that. Or the risks of going in the sea without a cut. or even getting in a car with their parents which holds a higher risk of harm or death.

HoppityBun · 10/08/2024 05:52

Salt water is excellent for sanitising and healing. No idea if the water where you are is polluted but presumably if other people are swimming there it’s ok

mytuppennyworth · 10/08/2024 05:52

Edingril · 09/08/2024 23:36

So going by this logic seawater will get in eyes, mouth which is all normal but a cut suddenly makes it dangerous how?

eyes and mouth are protected by the bodies defences, but a cut far less so

BeethovenNinth · 10/08/2024 06:44

We live by the sea and do this constantly including my kids. Salt water is good

there will always be the 1 in a million chance of an issue. Same with other scratches from cats or dogs or whatever.

don’t let it spoil your holiday.

Original poster
PattyDuckface · 10/08/2024 15:47

Just an update for everyone.
We took him to a chemist and they gave us a strong antibiotic cream and waterproof plasters.

They said it was ok to swim like this. Cut was minor but bleeding a bit as it was on his toe.

It's news to me that sea water is anything but beneficial but seems there can be some risk.

OP posts:
EBearhug · 10/08/2024 16:13

In the UK, the Surfers Against Sewage website can give you an idea of water quality at beaches - I have no idea if Italy has similar, but if a beach has a blue flag, that would be a good sign.

DeadbeatYoda · 10/08/2024 16:27

Get the spray on skin stuff. It's like a spray on plaster that you'll find near the Savlon / plasters in a chemist / supermarket. A good coating of that will keep it safe. If it were me / my child, I wouldn't give it a second thought unless the area was known for pollution though.

FairyRings · 10/08/2024 16:36

mytuppennyworth · 10/08/2024 05:28

sea water is NOT good for cuts, sea water is full of bacteria, and dangerous for cuts. There is a possibility of blood poisoning. Particularly on legs and feet. Depends on the cut OP. Can you disinfect it and put a waterproof dressing on?

Show quote history

Well all my life any cuts I had, or my children, the sea water helped heal them faster.

Frowningprovidence · 10/08/2024 16:44

I was in the its fine, salt water is good for you camp until I got a nasty tracking infection from a small cut that I went in the sea. Hospitalised by it. I'm not so carefree now. I would cover with waterproof dressing.

OneFastDuck · 10/08/2024 16:49

I'd chuck some savlon on after swimming just to appease your husband but I'd imagine at least 50% of kids swimming in the sea have some sort of graze, papercut, scratch, mosquito bites etc.

Swipe left for the next trending thread