How do I care for my child in a plaster cast?
Care of a child with a plaster cast
Your child has been given a plaster cast, how do you go about caring for it?
You should never lift a child with a plaster cast under the armpits alone, but must always be supported by the legs, this prevents too much weight on the hips. Always support the buttocks and legs when carrying.
Plaster should not get wet, so it is best to wash your child on a changing mat with a tub of warm water and a washcloth. Make sure that no water gets under the plaster. If the plaster does become wet, dry it with a lukewarm hair dryer or paper towel.
However, it happens that the plaster becomes dirty due to feces and urine. It can smell and cause wounds. Unfortunately, plaster cannot simply be replaced. To prevent the cast from becoming dirty and smelling, you can place a small diaper, sanitary towel or maternity towel in the open part of the cast for protection. Place a larger diaper over it, which will serve as extra protection.
You will often be given a spatula to take home from the hospital to help you get the diaper under the cast without having to do it by hand. The inner diaper ensures that the cast does not get wet. The larger diaper is placed on top of this. Take one or two sizes larger than the diaper your child normally wears. Then cut an oval piece from the plastic outside of the inner diaper, the excess moisture is then drained to the outer diaper. Fold the side edges inward to prevent leakage.
Change your baby regularly. You can also cover the plaster edge with special washable tape or microfoam that is available at the pharmacy. To prevent skin irritation, you can apply a protective layer with a barrier spray, which is also available at pharmacies.
If the plaster has become dirty, you can try to clean it with a little water and a towel to dry the plaster. For stool or urine stains, you can wipe oil-soaked cloths between the plaster and the skin. If the plaster has become too dirty or too wet, contact the plaster room of your hospital.
How do I prevent skin problems?
You naturally try to prevent skin irritation, chafing and bad odors, and it is important that the plaster remains dry. As you have read before, a lukewarm hairdryer can help with this. You can also vacuum the plaster off a bit, which will help with the itching. Never go under the plaster with a sharp object, you can damage the skin this way, which can lead to infections. You also push away the cotton wool layer, which in turn leads to more irritation. You can eliminate bad odors by dripping Nilodor, which neutralizes unwanted odors. Nilodor is also available again at your pharmacy.
What is good nutrition?
What does nutrition have to do with a plaster cast? Probably more than you think.
Try to give your child as few foods as possible that cause extra gas formation, such as beans and carbonated drinks. This will prevent abdominal cramps and diarrhea.
Sleep?
Please note that the plaster cast itself is quite warm and your child will soon become too warm under a duvet, which will cause your child to sweat more and may cause itching. Let your child sleep under a thin, non-synthetic blanket or cloth. Of course you can also let your child sleep in a sleeping bag. You can use our extra wide sleeping bags for this, which makes tucking easier because you don't have to tuck the blanket higher over your legs. In addition, normal blankets are too narrow. If you do not want to use a sleeping bag, you can also contact us for extra wide blankets of 140 x 140 cm.
We have sleeping bags for 4 seasons, namely:
We have sleeping bags for 4 seasons, namely:
- winter sleeping bags TOG value 2.8
- spring/autumn sleeping bags TOG value 2.0
- summer sleeping bags TOG value 0.5
Is special clothing necessary?
Unfortunately, your child's clothes no longer fit. You usually need one or two sizes larger than normal. Trousers with Velcro closures, press studs or zippers are especially easy. We have developed some trousers that fit over a plaster cast. The plaster trousers get dirty less quickly, they also look dressier.
