Human bites usually aren't serious, but they should be treated early to prevent infection. The health care provider examined the bite for signs of nerve damage, tendon damage, and infection, and then cleaned the bite to prevent infection. Your child also might have had an X-ray or blood test. If infection was a concern, the health care provider may have prescribed antibiotics.

Most human bites do not need repair. If this one did, the health care provider might have closed the wound with stitches. Sometimes after a bite, children need vaccination against certain infections, including tetanus and some viruses. The health care provider gave any vaccines that your child needed.

• If the health care provider prescribed antibiotics, give them as instructed.
• Gently wash the bite wound with soap and water.
• Apply antibiotic ointment to the wound each day and reapply bandages as directed.
• If the wound was closed with stitches, follow the health care team's directions on how to care for the wound and when to follow up for removal of stitches.
• If needed, a cold compress wrapped in a towel can be applied to the bite for 15 minutes every 1–2 hours for 2 days to ease swelling or pain.
• For pain, a medicine may make your child more comfortable, such as:
  • acetaminophen (such as Tylenol^® or a store brand).
  • ibuprofen (such as Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand). Do not give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months old.

Follow the package directions for how much to give and how often. If you don't know the recommended dose or your child is younger than 2 years old, call the health care provider to find out what to use and how much to give. Do not give aspirin to your child or teen as it has been linked to a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.

• Schedule a follow-up visit with your child's health care provider in 24–48 hours to make sure the wound is healing well.

• Your child's wound has signs of infection such as warmth, swelling, pain, redness, or drainage of pus.
• Your child has a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher.

• Red streaks spread from the wound.
• The bite wound is near a joint and your child can't move that joint.
• Your child has numbness in the body part that has been bitten.

Why is biting common among kids? There are many reasons for bites among children. Babies and toddlers might bite to get a reaction or to express how they feel when they can't use words. Children might bite their own hands during thumb-sucking or nail-biting. Biting can also happen during rough play. In older kids, accidental bites may happen during a fistfight. When a mouth is punched, the teeth can break the skin over the knuckle, causing a bite wound.

Why do human bites need to be treated quickly after they happen? Human bites contain high levels of germs and are likely to become infected if they break the skin. (Luckily, most bites during childhood play do not break the skin.) Bites on the hands or face or near joints are especially worrisome because infection in these areas can be serious. Sometimes, human bites can damage nerves or tendons.