Panicking about standing on a thorn

[tm123x]

My toddler has just had a thorn partly nick his sole as he has his crocs on with shoes, he has trodden on it. He cried and there was a tiny bit of blood. I have got home, washed it and put germolene on it and you can barely see the cut. It is like a finger prick size. Do i need to be worried? I am panicking about all sorts, thank you

Is he up to date with vaccines? Tetanus

Yes turned 3 last month so is due to have his booster soon

No there is absolutely nothing to worry about. And your toddler would never be at risk of tetanus from a thorn, so ignore that post.

Are you getting support for your anxiety? You sound very distressed

Worried about what exactly?

Just stick a plaster on it. Maybe do a child first aid course to better equip yourself for such situations in future.

Nothing to worry about, you'll see if it gets infected, just like little splinters do but it's unlikely. If your LO can't feel it then it's fine.

I grew up in Africa, and standing on thorns was pretty much a daily occurance. In all those years, I only ONCE got an infection and believe me, it was obvious from the start and my doctor still found it really surprising.

If it is a slightly open sore still, stick a plaster on it and keep it clean. But otherwise, leave it be.

And whie I don't want to knock you whiel you're down - this is a completely OTT reaction to a thorn. If you are suffering from health anxiety I would recommend getting some help.

It's a thorn, not a rattlesnake bite. Just keep it clean and it will heal up in no time.

What are you panicking about though? Every kid will get hundreds of thorns, cuts, grazes etc over their childhood. This can't possible be his first minor injury.

It'll be fine, his immune system will deal with any bacteria on the thorn. I get jabbed by thorns and splinters daily and they rarely do anything but heal up (and I don't even put on Germolene). You do sound like a worrier, but there's no need to panic.

I grew up on a farm. Imagine the things I managed to cut myself on!

Are you seriously worried about your kid standing on a thorn? You can’t possible be. So whatever else is going on that’s actually stressing you out and causing this reaction needs dealing with because this is insanity.

I mean my toddler stood on the tiniest bits of broken glass - she had knocked a glass over and it shattered and we thought it was all cleared up but some bits had flown far across the floor. For that we did go the A&E as we weren’t convinced it was all out and they x rayed it and cleaned it out properly and dressed it.

However thorns and splinters are easier to see so on those occasions we’ve just removed what we can see, cleaned, popped something like germolene to kill germs and kept an eye out for any signs of it not healing properly. Never had to get those checked.

It’s not the thorn you need help for. It’s this totally disproportionate reaction.

My DHs grandad died from a thorn (sepsis). Yes, it was around 1932 but it still happened!

Ok, let’s look at it step by step, to see if that helps settle your mind (&I’m not going to bash you for your anxiety, it will get easier, I promise).

1. Did you get all the thorn out? You said yes above so one issue removed.
2. Is it now clean? Yes. Another issue removed
3. Cover it so it doesn’t get dirt in (small plaster). Done? Another gone
4. Up to date with jabs? Yes? Another one ticked off.

If DS is now playing normally it’s ok.

Make a strong cup of tea or coffee as per your preference, and allow yourself to breathe.

I was extremely paranoid whenever DD got DV bugs as I nearly died of one age 6 months so I do get the worry, honestly. But it will pass. Don’t beat yourself up about it, breathe through it

Hugs xxx

PP are being a little patronising, and obviously don't know anything about blackthorn (which it may well have been) which can and does cause a variety of infections if wounded by it. You have to be careful around blackthorn.

But op, don't worry, if you made sure there were no splinters left, and thoroughly cleaned the area, the risk will be very low. Just keep an eye on the area, and look out for infection at the sight. It'll most probably be absolutely fine!

Are you for real? Tetanus can very much be associated with a thorn prick.

So before the era of widely available antibiotics? Best part of 100 years ago. It isn't going to happen in the 21st century when we have antiseptics to prevent a tiny pin prick even getting infected. Not helpful to post that for someone obviously suffering from health anxiety.

The child is vaccinated. C. tetani is associated with soil contamination. It is so infinitesimally unlikely that a child stepping on a tiny thorn will develop tetanus. Another unnecessary bit of fear mongering.

What is it about thorns that you're most worried about? Any scratch, or cut has the potential to turn into sepsis. But that would be very bad luck and very very rare. You've done everything you needed to do, just keep an eye!

It is good the child is vaccinated.

It is still incorrect that you can't get tetanus from a rose thorn. In fact it is one of the most common routes of infection, along with rusty nails and such like.

There are fewer than 10 cases annually of tetanus in the UK. It is typically seen in older people who were not fully vaccinated (i.e. before it was introduced in 1961) and drug users. While being exposed to it from a thorn prick is theoretically possible, the risk is so small in a fully vaccinated child, it is not worth thinking about, let alone scaring an anxious mother.

I'm genuinely sorry to hear that.

But there is absolutely no need to panic over an otherwise healthy child getting an extremely minor injury like this.

Your uncle didn't just go straight from pricking his foot on a thorn to dropping dead with no signs of there being a problem in between.

Presumably he first developed a local infection at the injury site that wasn't effectively treated, and then developed into a systemic infection which also couldn't be treated because the treatment (antibiotics) hadn't yet been invented. It's not comparable at all.

If there are signs of infection then yes, seek medical attention. If you aren't confident to identify signs of infection, we have access to something called the internet where you can find advice. The NHS website will almost certainly have useful information on this.

Otherwise, just stick a plaster on it and get on with your day. It's a non event.

I've still got part of a thorn buried in my elbow from a fall off a horse 5 years ago and i'm still alive 😂

It’s very unusual to worry about a child getting a small scratch. Do you have health anxiety, OP? It would be worth you getting some help because these anxieties rub off on our children.

This is a site used by people all over the world, not just the UK. FYI.

People need to stay up to date on their boosters, whatever age they are. Your talk of drug users and old people is nonsense. Rose thorn pricks as a source are not just theoretically possible, but common sources.

You can get tetanus after being exposed to tetanus spores in dust, soil, and feces, which then grow and make a powerful neurotoxin. Tetanus spores can even be found in the mouth of many animals.

You can get tetanus after a cat or dog bite, a burn, frostbite, a tractor falling on your leg (crush injury), or falling into a rose bush (puncture wounds from thorns), etc. Almost anything that can cause a non-superficial wound can cause tetanus, especially if the wound is contaminated with dirt, feces, or saliva.

5 Myths About Tetanus and Tetanus Shots - VAXOPEDIA