Tetanus has been a danger for generations and most parents will be aware it is something that their children should be protected against. But many might not realise how deadly it can be, and why it is important to guard against it rather than simply treating cuts with antiseptic lotions after an accident.

What is tetanus?
Tetanus is an infection (also known as lockjaw), where bacteria found in some forms of dirt and in animal waste, attacks the spinal cord. It releases a toxin that causes severe muscle spasms and breathing difficulties and can kill as it can affect the lungs or heart.
It cannot be treated with antibiotics once it has infected a person.

Why is it dangerous for children?
When your baby is sleeping on her clean, soft blanket, it's hard to imagine that one day soon she'll be clambering over playgrounds, digging up all manner of nasties in the garden, and running down the street ahead of you, too busy to notice the loose paving that's going to send her flying.
Children love getting stuck in: playing with leaves in an autumn garden, feeding animals at petting farms, and most toddlers seem inexplicably drawn to putting their mouths right up to old wire fences at zoos.
You can't always see where a animal has pooed or where the bacteria from rodents, other people's pets, or other infected material has bedded into dirt or soil. And bites can also cause infection.
Anyone of any age can get tetanus (one woman died when she scratched her leg on the rusty fishing line of a garden gnome), so setting up protection early in life is important.

How can you protect your child from tetanus?
The only way to protect against tetanus is by immunisation.
Each person needs five jabs of tetanus to be fully protected, though a serious injury that a doctor is concerned about might warrant an additional treatment at the time of an accident.
Babies get their first three jabs as part of the two, three and four month sets of immunsations, in their first year. They are then given another jab pre-school, between the ages of three and a half and five years. The final booster should be given between 13 and 18 years.
Adults who are unsure if they themselves have been fully protected can ask their GP's surgery to check if their records show they have had five jabs. If not, it is advisable to update your immunsations as soon as possible. Remember: you will be clambering over those playgrounds and gardens with your child!

What kinds of wounds need medical attention?
If a wound is deep and you have reason to believe that the dirt around it might have been exposed to animal waste (horse manure, for example) or is otherwise likely to be contaminated in some way, or it is a bite or burn in similar circumstances, seek emergency medical attention to have it checked out.
If a wound has not been cleaned thoroughly after six hours or more, seek medical attention.
If a wound is deep and dirty and you are unsure whether the injured child or adult is up to date with his or her immunisations against tetanus, call a doctor.

For NHS advice about tetanus, visit www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk.