Health Visitor burnt my baby with silver nitrate! Advice please!

[MumToEva]

My little one has an umbilical granuloma which my GP has been treating with Silver Nitrate. So we were at the baby clinic this afternoon and the health visitor said she'd apply it. Well I've just changed her nappy for the 1st time since returning home and she's managed to get it all round her belly button, and now there's a n area about the size of a 20p piece where the skin is lifting off and it's red and raw looking below! She's been grizzly and clingy ince we got home- I'd been putting it down to her having had her jabs, but this is probably the reason! My poor baby! I'm swinging between anger and tears! So fari've put sudocreme on it, butI'm not really sure if that's the right thing to do or it. Please help!

 

[parmaviolet]

oh no, thats awful. I don't think you are meant to put any creams on burns but not sure what else, perhaps a cold compress? Maybe phone NHS direct and ask them for some advice.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Please put in a complaint! How horrible I agree with phoning NHS Direct too.

 

[lovelylaura]

Im not sure what your ment to do now its done but I've always been told to put vasaline around it so the skin doesn't get burnt as its quite common , I wouldn't put sudo creme on it as it might iritate it more just cool water to soothe it x

 

[LJaydow]

I would ring NHS direct and when your LO is settled I would complain

 

[stepmum]

yup NHS Direct, then complain

 

[NicolaWynne]

Take her to the doctor tomorrow and make a complaint and more importantly, get some cream or something for it... Some people are such idiots. Poor baby! x

 

[ttcmikeandme]

We work with silver nitrate quite a bit in the ER, and normally if you accidentally get silver nitrate on you, you will get a blue or black discoloration that will usually go away. With that being said it is a chemical and they all have their risks of reactions, especially to sensitive skin. I've never seen anyone get a true burn from the silver nitrate sticks, but heard of a study once with an infant that had a small burn that then got infected.

I would call your pediatrician and ask what they recommend to be put on there! Hope your LO starts feeling better!

 

[shelley22]

We were offered the silver nitrate treatment for Os belly button and were told that this was one of the risks, so decided against it. Where you not told beforehand about the risks? If not, I would also complain that it is something that you should be informed of.

 

[ITRYTOBENICE]

I could have written this post last week!.
My 7 wk old daughter has a weeping navel so I took her to the doctor. He said to leave it and see if it dried up.
A week later there was an obvious granuloma and a different doctor treated it with SN. As I was driving out I remembered DD1 being treated for the same thing by the HV but she put vaseline around it before treatment.
By the time I got home DD had a black area all round her navel. I rang and the GP said it was staining.
The next day the skin was cracking and raw nearest to the navel(not just the granuloma) and stained further away. Rather upset I rang the GP's again and got another appt with yet another GP obviously thought I was being a neurotic mother until she looked and then agreed I wasnt!. She cleaned it and put a dry dressing on it which dried it out beautifully. The scabs fell off within a day or so and now it is perfect. Alot of stress for the want of a smear of vaseline. No I didnt complain but I got the feeling that the last GP was going to 'mention' it to the other one!.
I have a photo of it on my iphone but have no idea how to upload it?

 

[nicki01]

Definatly get it looked at as you dont want to risk infection. hope little one is on the mend soon!

 

[MumToEva]

Thanks everyone! Have calmed down now, and decided not to make a omplaint against the health visitor, because she's very nice and has been very helpful in other ways about Eva, so I don't want to get her in trouble. My brother's a doctor, so he had a look at it for me this morning. Says although it looks bad, it's quite superficial and to put hypoallergenic moisturiser on it to prevent it drying out rather than the sudocreme, as it won't be that sore unless it dries out. Doesn't seem to be bothering her too much thankfully, otherwise I might not be so forgiving!