Wound Care: Vital parenting information from Eyewitness News

When the winter snow gives way to the spring thaw, the kids go out to play. That means, get the first aid kit ready for scrapes and cuts. Although serious wounds can happen anywhere, anytime, you'll want to be ready in the event your child's injury needs stitiches. A cut that would require stitches is one that is about two millimeters deep and won't close together on its own. Also, a cut one that is gaping open more than you are comfortable with could allow infection to get in. To stop the bleeding, apply firm pressure for at least five minutes. After two, five minute intervals, if you can't stop the bleeding that's another sign pediatrician Joe Matusic says you need to see a doctor right away.

Dr. Joe Matusic, MD, Pediatrician
Cuts have to be stitched within six hours or they may become infected. After six hours the wound may become infected. After six hours, if you don't have a specialiist do it, you may actually seal in infection.
So make sure you go to a doctor or emergency room right away and if you're sitting there forever, you need to remind them it needs to be stitched within six hours.

For an abrassion, if the surfact of the skin is broken, here's the simple plan for first aid.

Dr. Matusic
Clean it, wash it, get it very clean. Get it dry and put Neosporin on it. Cover with a non-stick bandage and cover with another bandage to keep it protected. Wounds that are covered, especially with some sort of triple antibiotic will do much better- they heal substantially quicker.

Then check your little one's scrape frequently for signs it's getting better... or not.

Dr. Matusic
If you are not comfortable with how it looks, you need to see a physician. But certainly any streak, that is much more significant, that's probably a blood poisoning or cellulitis... or if it's painful, that's more siginificant taht may be more of a cellulitis that may be something you need antibiotics for.

For puncture wounds, for instance if you know your child has stepped on a nail or something else sharp. The doctor says lean toward seeing a doctor right away because that's something which could carry a risk of infection. And your child will have to get a tetanus shot if it's been five years since the last one.