Butter as first aid for bumps on head

[RosJ]

My ds is bumping his head quite a lot at the moment (only minor bumps, touch wood) as he's moving from crawling to walking.
My question is: does anyone know why people put butter on bumps?-they did this at nursery and couldnt tell me why-I think its some kind of old fashioned remedy as I remember it from school-the cook used to put it on us with a huge spoon.... I think I read somewhere that its not a good idea, but I can't find where I read this. I think that a cold pack is probably better, but I want more info before I talk to the nursery again about the butter.

It's one of them daft old wives tales. A pack of frozen peas is the best thing.

It's mental. My nan used butter on everything, even my cousin's broken leg (with a hot flannel, naturally).

It's the absolute worst thing to put on a burn (she'd do that too).

The fecking nursery should be qualified in first aid, and should know about cold compresses. To they give them a frog in a bag to suck on if they're teething FGS?

It'll make him stink of old milk as well!

thanks-yes, it seems like a "fold remedy" is it an overreaction to complain to the nursery about this? I'm worried that they are doing first aid things without knowing why, just because one of the nursey assistants said it was a good idea. What next..leeches?

meant "folk remedy"

It's not an overreaction. It's the wrong thing to do in that circumstance, and they're supposed to have some up-to-date first aid knowledge. And some sense

lol @ frog in a bag to suck on.

Our nursery has those little gel packs that go in the freezer (some shaped like Mr Men). Cold a tad more useful in reducing inflammation than butter .

"reducing inflammation" I think that is what I read...butter will not reduce infammation and may in fact make the skin more flexible and encourage it. The main thing is, if they are using butter they are not using their cold packs (they do have them), and they are not following up-to-date first aid advice. I'm assuming he wont burn himself in nursery, but I hope they would not put butter on a burn. In fact the main problem is, if they are doing this, what else are they doing without knowing the reason why? Really I'm just trying to prime myself for talking to them--I dont want to be confrontational

I'd say that butter may increase inflammation because it traps in the heat next to the skin.