Steri strips help!!

[FunInTheSun2019]

Sorry posted on here for more traffic..

My 14 month old has recently started to walk, he is still very wobbly so we were practising going from him holding onto the sofa and taking a few steps to me.

The most awful thing happened and he lost his balance and sort of lept backwards, banging his head on the corner of a wall. It was absolutely dreadful, I'm still so upset and feel terrible for not being able to catch him in time

He had an open wound on his forehead and rushed him straight to A and E.
The doctor said he was fine and just placed two steri strips on the cut. She told me to leave it on for 5 to 7 days and that was it.
When she cleaned the wound it started bleeding again so the steri strips have dried blood on them.
Now 6 days in it smells a bit. My mother in law told me it's just the dried blood.

I want to do anything possible to try make the wound heal as fast as it can and leave as little scar as possible.

The doctor did give me lots of spare steri strips, but my son hasn't touched them at all, so they have stayed in exactly the same place.
Should I soak these ones off and just leave the wound? Should I put fresh ones on? Or just leave it?
Any advice would be so helpful.

I know before anybody says I'm a dreadful mum, I feel so so guilty

Hi! Im an A+E nurse.

Things you need to look out for are signs of infection. These are increased pain to the area, increaded redness, pus from the wound and if the wound is hot.

Does the would look like it would hold together without the steristrips? If the wounds looking ok and just looks like a nasty scab then id take them off. Worst case scenario you have to put them back on

Put some of your spare new ones back on I should have said. Not the old ones

Oh thank you for your help!
It's very difficult as I can't see the wound at all.. when the doctor cleaned the wound, it started bleeding again and then she quickly placed the strips on whilst it was still bleeding. So the strips got blood on them. The cut initially was a straight line shape, but now its just a round shape from the blood. I hope that makes sense!!
It's all very dry, so I will soak them off and see what it looks like.
Is there anything I can do to promote healing?
I myself have been in and out of hospital lots over the years and had wounds that district nurses have cared for, so I have a lot of stock here of seaweed gels, manuka honey dressings etc..should I cover it back up even if it does have a scab? Or should I just leave it?
Just want to try and promote healing the best I can

Soak the steri strips just enough for them to come off. Not too much though as itll just open the wound up again.

Then id just moniter it for signs of infection, but leave it alone. Itll all scab off in its own time.

Why not pop into the nearest Minor Injuries Unit and see what they say about it? You sound like you need a bit of reassurance and a professional checking it out for signs of infection would be helpful.

Warm water in a bowl, get some cotton wool balls, do them in the water, and gentle moisten the area, the blood will come away, and so will the strips. Dry the wound, a folded bit of kitchen roll will work nicely, if it needs the strips just pop some back on.

For what its worth, I had my 2 year old in A&E 3 times in one week! First he fell backwards of his ride on trike outside and banged his head, second he stood up under the piano and banged his head, third he turn around and ran into the work surface in the kitchen- all resulting in blood. By the third time the doctors knew us all by name and I was 🙈. I just had a very active little boy, who now at 19 is a very cautious big boy!

Trust me that is not the most awful thing... stuff happens... I have a Childhood Accident Scar on my face and am very fond of it. All part of life. Happened when my mum was watching and she was the best mum ever so don't waste a moment feeling guilty.

@FunInTheSun2019 @Theresnobslikeshowbs advice is good!

Could you post a photo? It’s probably just a bit plaster-skanky but if we could look at it we could maybe reassure you?

Aww thank you so all so much!
Right I managed to soak them off (the patience we both had to do that was phenomenal!!) q
The wound hasn't got a scab on it, but it didn't bleed. It looks like it may of closed up a tiny bit but not much..

After all my health issues I have had in the past, I'm confident knowing the signs of infection (I have had a fair few) to me there is no signs of infection. Around the actual cut is not red or warm at all, and in himself he is absolutely fine.

Should I try and put fresh steri strips on to try and close the cut now? Or would it not work if the cut is completely dry?

Thank you @Theresnobslikeshowbs made me feel a tad less terrible! I thought with my second I would prevent any potential hazards and accidents! But nope!!

I would try to put 2 new steristrips on. Not too tight, just to keep it the would sides in place where they are now.

3/4 of my kids got this kind of cut somewhere on head (at least once). In oh so many creative ways (sigh). It was after the 3rd or 4th time that I realised I could just apply steristrips myself.

Yup put one or two more on depending on the size of the wound. Itll all heal up in its own time!