Ingrown toenails are one of the most prominent and painful of all pediatric foot problems that affect children. If your child suffers from one, it is important to get them to a specialist soon. However, if you have to send them to daycare before then, you need to minimize their pain and help your daycare provider understand the situation.
Basic Treatment Before Sending Child To Daycare
There are a series of steps you need to take to treat your child's ingrown toenail before sending them to daycare. These steps will decrease their level of pain and make it easier for them to get through the day. You need to:
- Soak their foot for 15 minutes in warm salt water
- Use a child-friendly pain medication to alleviate minor pain
- Apply antibiotic ointment and wrap the toenail with a bandage to protect it from infection
- Avoid shoes that pinch their feet or are uncomfortable – sandals are a good choice
It is also possible to separate the toenail from the skin using nail files, but many children will have a hard time tolerating that so early in the morning. You may also accidentally puncture their skin and cause a bigger problem.
Talk To The Daycare Provider
When you drop your child off with the daycare provider, bring up the ingrown toenail and discuss things that they can do to help. Remember that it might be difficult for your daycare provider to give constant one-on-one time with your child, but know that they will do what they can to help. They should be able to provide your child with some of the above-mentioned pain treatment methods.
It might seem like a hassle to talk with your daycare provide or burden them with this information, but building a good communication path with them is important to improving your child's care. In fact, most daycare providers will be upset if you don't let them know about problems like ingrown toenails and will appreciate your respect and trust in managing the problem.
Care For Your Child After Daycare
After picking your child up from daycare, you should immediately remove their shoes, socks, and check out the toenail. All that running around and playing may have caused some pain or a worsening of the condition. Soothe their pain by rubbing their feet with coconut oil, which helps with ingrown toenails.
This kind of physical contact is important in a child's early years. It can not only soothe the pain in their foot, but helps foster attachment between the two of you. This is especially true with younger children, and regular positive physical contact, such as foot massages, can help.
These simple steps can help your child adapt to daycare with an ingrown toenail while you wait for a specialist to look at the problem. This will make it easier for them to enjoy their daycare visits and eliminate much of their physical pain. Contact a business, such as Foundations Child Development Center Inc, to ask what you should do before dropping your child off.
