Black infection on thumb from thumbsucking!

[vespergirl]

Hi everyone! I know I haven't been around much lately, but I needed to ask my fellow PS moms some advice ...

So my 11 month old little guy developed a dark, swollen blister on his thumb from thumbsucking! I brought him to the dr yesterday, and he was put on antibiotics, but the dr didn't lance the wound. He said that it would probably come to a head in the next few days, and if it does, I should pop it and let it drain. Right now, though, there is a thin layer of skin grown over the wound, so I can't pop it. He said it should heal with the anitbiotics in the next couple of days, but I should watch out for fever or if it gets worse, & if it does, bring him in again. The antibiotics have brought the red swelling down around the wound, but the gross dark blister is still there.

Have any of you had to deal with thumb infections from thumbsucking with your kids? How did you treat it? How long did it take to heal? Was it a recurring problem?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Pandora II]

I would have thought it's a blood blister where they suck so hard that they effectively bruise the tissues causing bleeding under the skin. My sister did this a few times when she was little. You can use a needle to lance them when they are under the nail because that really hurts, but otherwise it eventually reabsorbs in the way that a bad bruise does.

I'm intrigued as to what kind of infection it could be?

 

[Puppmom]

Vesper, N is a heavy thumb sucker and got a really deep crack in his thumb. It looked awful but of course didn't stop him from sucking his thumb. We showed the pedi the *wound* at his 6 month appt and he had me apply the lansinoh nipple ointment and it eventually went away.

That was two months ago and it didn't come back. His thumb is constantly dry and red from sucking it though. Is C still sucking that thumb? Does it seem to hurt? It does sound like a blood blister.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

My son sucked his thumb for years and never had such a situation. Isn't prescribing anti-biotics a bit extreme? I'd be more worried about giving a 2-year-old child a course of those than the blood blister.

 

[somethingshiny]

My initial thought was blood blister too.

I sucked my thumb until I was like 9. I even had bite marks, but I never had any type of infection.

Does it look like a blood blister to you??

 

[vespergirl]

Hi guys,

Thanks for your replies. It's definitely an infection, not a blood blister. At first that's what I thought it was too, but then it turned black the skin around it was puffy & red, and the puffy red area was spreading. My DH got a staph infection on his face a few years ago, and it looked just like that before it got the red streaks radiating outwards - he was admitted to the hospital for IV antibiotics.

The dr told me that he had another kid in with the same thing 2 weeks ago, but the parents waited too long to bring him in & he had to be hospitalized because the infection had spread from his thumb, to his hand, to his wrist, and up his forearm. He told me that it was good that I brought him in when I did, because those infections can get very bad very quickly. He said that it's not uncommon in thumbsuckers, because their teeth cut into the skin of the thumb, and then the bacteria from the mouth can infect the wound.

He said that a week of antibiotics should clear it up, but it will take a few days until it improves. The puffy red area is gone since he started the antibiotics, but the black spot on his thumb is still there. It looks so awful, and he's STILL sucking his thumb. I've been wrapping it in a bandaid when he sleeps (that's when he sucks) but he's just sucking it with the bandage.

 

[Puppmom]

Vesper, careful with the band-aid. We did that with N and the band-aid came off and he choked on it. I hollered at DH since he put it on even though I thought it was a good idea until it came off!

 

[vespergirl]

Vesper, careful with the band-aid. We did that with N and the band-aid came off and he choked on it. I hollered at DH since he put it on even though I thought it was a good idea until it came off!

We were worried about him choking on the bandaid too - now he's taken to sucking other fingers though, so we can keep the bandaid off

 

[diamondringlover]

Wow this is kinda of scary stuff, my son sucked his thumb till he was 5 and this never happened...hope he gets better soon and hope the antibotics works.

 

[vespergirl]

Hi guys, I just wanted to give you an update. After 4 days on antibiotics, the black spot on Connor's thumb dried up into a scab & fell off. Now his thumb looks normal again (red & chapped though from sucking). I really hope it doesn't get infected again though ...

 

[Puppmom]

Fantastic news! What a quick turn-around...now the poor kid can have his thumb back!