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Should i put antibiotic cream on my child's scraped knee?

For a simple scraped knee, washing with water and keeping it moist and covered (plain petroleum jelly works fine) is usually enough — antibiotic ointment is optional, not required, to prevent infection.

If you do use one, Canadian over-the-counter products (like Polysporin) use bacitracin and polymyxin B rather than neomycin, which is prescription-only in Canada and a more common cause of skin allergy.

Strength of evidence

Good

A Canadian hospital guideline and a Canadian Paediatric Society position statement directly address this, agreeing with Australian paediatric hospital guidance; no randomized trial specifically tests antibiotic ointment versus plain moisturizer for simple paediatric scrapes.

What the evidence says

For most scraped knees, you don't need antibiotic cream. The most important step is rinsing the scrape with clean water to get out dirt and grit, then covering it so it stays slightly moist and protected.

A Canadian children's hospital guide says you can use an antibiotic ointment like Polysporin if you want — it can help stop the bandage from sticking to the wound and may lower infection risk a little. But the same guide says doctors don't generally recommend using antibiotics just to try to prevent infection in simple cuts and scrapes.

The Canadian Paediatric Society looked at over-the-counter antibiotic ointments (the kind with bacitracin, neomycin or polymyxin B) and found the proof that they actually help minor wounds heal better or stay infection-free is unclear. Minor skin infections, when they do happen, often get better with simple wound care alone.

Australian children's hospital guidance goes a step further for everyday scrapes: plain petroleum jelly, like Vaseline, is enough to keep the wound moist, and antiseptic or antibiotic creams aren't necessary. Some antiseptics can even irritate the wound and slow healing.

One more thing worth knowing: in Canada, the classic American brand Neosporin, which contains neomycin, isn't available over the counter — it's prescription-only here, and plain Neosporin ointment was actually pulled from the Canadian market. Canadian over-the-counter wound ointments like Polysporin use bacitracin and polymyxin B instead, which cause fewer allergic skin reactions than neomycin does. If a scrape starts looking more red, swollen, sore, or oozy as it heals, that's a sign to get it checked by a doctor rather than just adding more cream.

Sources

  • Guideline Cuts and scrapes in children: First aid AboutKidsHealth (SickKids)

    Found: Antibiotic ointment like Polysporin can be used to help protect against infection and keep bandages from sticking, but is not required.

    Canadian hospital guide on at-home wound care for children

  • Guideline Management of community-associated bacterial skin and soft tissue infections in children Canadian Paediatric Society

    Found: Minor skin infections often resolve with wound care alone, and evidence of benefit for over-the-counter topical antimicrobials is unclear.

    CPS position statement on minor skin infection management

  • Guideline Topical Antibiotics - Nonprescription Drugs Labelling Standard Health Canada

    Found: Health Canada's approved over-the-counter first-aid antibiotic ingredients for minor cuts and scrapes are bacitracin, polymyxin B, gramicidin and mupirocin.

    Lists bacitracin, polymyxin B, gramicidin, mupirocin as approved OTC options; neomycin not included

  • Guideline Cuts, grazes, and lacerations Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne

    Found: A thin layer of petroleum jelly is enough for most cuts and grazes, and antiseptic or antibiotic cream is not necessary and may irritate or delay healing.

    Australian paediatric hospital wound care guidance

  • Guideline Abrasions & cuts: children & teenagers Raising Children Network (Australia)

    Found: Recommends washing the wound, applying a thin smear of petroleum jelly, and covering it, without mention of needing antibiotic ointment.

    Australian parenting health guide, home first aid for scrapes

  • Systematic review Prevalence of Contact Allergy to Neomycin in Dermatitis Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis PubMed/PMC

    Found: Pooled analysis of over 17,000 children found contact allergy to neomycin in about 4.3% of those patch tested, higher than many other topical antibiotics.

    Systematic review on neomycin skin allergy risk

✓Reviewed by CH, MD, FRCPC

Reviewed by a specialist physician certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, who has read this answer against the sources listed above and confirmed it reflects them. That is not medical advice about your child. How we review

Answer checked October 19, 2026

Educational information only. Not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and no doctor-patient relationship is created by using this. Founded Parent has not examined your child and does not know their history, so this may not apply to you. In an emergency, call your local emergency number. What Founded Parent cannot do

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