After a Ring Removal: How to Care for Your Child

A ring getting stuck on a child's finger or toe can be serious because it blocks the blood from leaving the finger or toe, leading to swelling. This makes it harder to get the ring off and, over time, can lead to permanent damage to the finger or toe. The health care provider removed the ring, and your child can now go home.

• Follow your health care provider's advice for:

  • Giving your child acetaminophen (Tylenol^® or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand) as needed for pain. Follow the directions on the label for how much to give and how often. Don't give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months old.

  • Whether your child should use antibiotic ointment or a bandage on the finger or toe.

  • Whether your child should see a hand surgeon or orthopedic (bone) doctor.

  • When to follow up.

• If the finger or toe is still swollen, raise it above heart level by resting it on a pillow. 

• Help your child keep any cut, raw, or irritated skin clean by washing with soap and water and drying with a clean cloth twice a day and whenever the area gets dirty.

• Your child should not wear any rings on the swollen finger or toe until all pain is gone, and the finger or toe is back to normal size.

Your child has:

• pain or swelling that gets worse

• numbness (loss of feeling) or pale or bluish skin where the ring was removed

• new or worse redness, a fever, or pus draining in the area (these can be signs of an infection)

• symptoms that continue for more than a week

How do rings get stuck? Rings can get stuck for many reasons. A child might force a ring that is too small onto a finger and then can't pull it off. Sometimes, a ring fits fine at first but the finger or toe gets swollen from a reaction to the metal, an insect bite, or an injury. Other circular things can get stuck on a finger or toe too, like washers and metal nuts.