Burn Prevention

Most burn injuries happen in the home. For a young child, there are many ordinary places in the home that can be dangerous. Hot bath water, radiators and even food that is too hot can cause burns. The following tips and suggestions will help you avoid the possibility of burn injury to your child:

• Keep matches, lighters and ashtrays out of the reach of children.
• Childproof all electrical outlets with plastic plugs.
• Do not allow your child to play close to fireplaces, radiators or space heaters.
• Replace all frayed, broke or worn electrical cords.
• Never leave barbecue grills unattended.
• Teach your children that irons, curling irons, grills, radiators and ovens can get very hot and are dangerous to touch or play near. Never leave any of these items unattended with children near. Unplug all appliances after using them.

Kitchen Concerns

• Never leave a child alone in the kitchen when food is cooking.
• Enforce a “kid-free” zone three feet around the oven or stove while you are cooking. Use a playpen, high chair or other stationary device to keep your child from getting too close.
• Never leave a hot oven door open.
• Use back burners if possible. When using front burners, turn pot handles inward. Never let them stick out where a child could grab them.
• Do not leave spoons or other utensils in pots while cooking.
• Turn off burners and ovens when they are not being used.
• Do not use wet pot holders, as they may cause steam burns.
• Carefully place wet foods into a deep fryer or frying pan containing grease rather than tossing them in. The reaction between hot oil and water will splatter.
• Remove pot lids carefully to avoid being burned by steam. Remember, steam is hotter than boiling water.
• In case of a small pan fire, carefully slide a lid over the pan to smother the flames, turn off the burner, and wait for the pan to cool completely.
• Never carry your child and hot liquids at the same time.
• Never leave hot liquids, like a cup of coffee, where children can reach them. Don’t forget that a child can get burned from hot liquids by pulling on hanging tablecloths.
• Wear tight-fitting or rolled-up sleeves when cooking to reduce the risk of your clothes catching on fire.
• In microwave ovens, use only containers that are made for microwaves. Test microwaved food for heat and steam before giving it to your child. (Never warm a bottle in the microwave. It can heat the liquid unevenly and burn your child.)
• Avoid letting appliance cords hang over the side of countertops, where children could pull on them.

Hot Water

• Lower the thermostat on your water heater so that the temperature at the tap is less than 120 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent scalding.
• When using tap water, always turn on the cold water first, then add hot. When finished, turn off the hot water first.
• Test the temperature of bath water with your forearm or the back of your hand before placing your child in the water.
• Use a cool-mist vaporizer to treat upper-respiratory illnesses, as hot water vaporizers can cause steam burns or can spill on your child.
• Never leave children alone in the bathroom for any reason. They are at risk of burns and drowning.

Burns

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Burns are divided into three categories according to their severity. First-degree burns are the mildest and cause redness and perhaps slight swelling of the skin (like most sunburns). Second-degree burns cause blistering and considerable swelling. Third-degree burns may appear white or charred, and cause serious injury not just to the surface but also to the deeper skin layers.

There are many different causes of serious burns in children, including sunburn, hot water scalds, and those due to fire, electrical contact or chemicals. All of these can cause permanent injury and scarring to the skin.

Treatment of Burns

• As quickly as possible, soak the burn in cool water. Don’t hesitate to run cool water over the burn long enough to cool the area and relieve the pain immediately after the injury. Do not use ice.
• Cool any smoldering clothing immediately by soaking with water. Then remove any clothing from the burned area unless it is stuck firmly to the skin. In that case, cut away as much clothing as possible.
• If the injured area is not oozing, cover the burn with a sterile gauze pad.
• If the burn is oozing, cover it lightly with sterile gauze if available and immediately seek medical attention. If sterile gauze is not available, cover burns with a clean sheet or towel.
• Do not put butter, grease or powder on a burn. All of these so-called home “remedies” can actually make the injury worse.

When to Call the Pediatrician for Burns

For anything more serious than a superficial burn, or if redness and pain continue for more than a few hours, consult a physician. All electrical burns and burns of the hands, mouth or genitals should receive immediate medical attention. Chemicals that cause burns also may be absorbed through the skin and cause other symptoms. Call your pediatrician or poison center after washing off the chemical.

If your physician thinks the burn is not too serious, he may show you how to clean and care for it at home using medicated ointments and dressings.

Under the following circumstances, however, hospitalization may be necessary.

• If the burns are third degree
• If 10 percent or more of the body is burned
• If the burn involves the face, hands, feet or genitals, or crosses a moving joint
• If the child is very young or fussy, and therefore too difficult to treat at home

When treating a burn at home, watch for any increase in redness or swelling, or the development of a bad odor or discharge. These can be signs of infection, which will require medical attention.

Excerpted from Caring for Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5, Bantam 1999