The child has got frostbite - what to do?

What to do in case of frostbite

• Make the child comfortable, i.e. take his/her wet clothes off him/her. Warm the affected body parts gradually using warm water (not hot) or body heat (e.g. by taking the child's hand in your hands, putting it under your armpits or on your stomach). While warming the child, constantly check the water temperature so that it does not cool down. Water should be constantly stirred around the frostbitten body part to distribute the heat evenly.
• Do not use dry heat sources (e.g. heated objects) as their effects are much harder to control and they can cause tissue burns.
• While warming a frozen area, the child can be expected to feel intense pain and complain about it. The frozen body part must be handled gently. 
• Continue warming until the frostbitten body part becomes soft and the color and feeling return. After the treatment in a warm bath, dry the frostbitten body part by gently tapping it with a towel.
• Wrap the frostbitten area in dry sterile dressing.
• If the hand or foot is frostbitten, then sterile dressing should be placed between the fingers or toes, the limb raised to reduce swelling and the warmed body part protected from re-freezing.
• Depending on the child's age, you can give him/her a pain medication (paracetamol or ibuprofen, in a dose according to his/her age), following the manufacturer's instructions in detail. If the child has not taken these medications before, be sure to consult your pediatrician due to a possible allergic reaction.  
• Rehydrate the child by giving him/her plenty of fluids.

If your child has symptoms and signs of freezing and frostbite at the same time, you should always take care of freezing first!

What should you not do?

• Never rub a frozen area or put snow on it, as this will further damage it.
• Do not puncture blisters on a frostbite-affected area. Cover them lightly with sterile gauze or a clean dry cloth to prevent infection.
• Do not place frozen body parts on a radiator, heat them with hot compresses or a hot water bottle, or expose them to open heat sources such as fire.

When should you see a doctor?

If you apply warm water, and the feeling and normal skin color are not restored within 20 minutes, or if blisters or blue swollen skin appear, an examination by a professional is necessary.

Body parts stuck on frozen surfaces

While playing, the child may touch a cold object with his/her tongue or lips, and then be unable to separate them because the body part attached to the surface has frozen. What to do in this case:

• Calm the child so that he/she does not move, to avoid further injury.
• Do not pull the frozen body part or try to forcibly separate it from the surface.
• Gently pour warm (not hot) water on the surface of the object or skin that is stuck on the object.
• When the skin begins to separate, gently help the child to separate from the metal object.
• Treat the injury as an open wound.