More than 500 children under five are taken to hospital every week because of burns and scalds. The majority of these burns are due to hot drinks.
Burns are particularly serious for small children and babies. Young children don’t have the reflex to move away from something hot and their skin is up to 15 times thinner than that of an adult. The damage tends to be more severe because they have a smaller body surface area which means the burn covers a larger proportion of them. The greater the area covered, the more serious the injury and the impact for the child.
Burns are frightening and the pain and damage caused can be devastating. The physical and psychological damage from a serious childhood burn can last well into adulthood. Knowing what to do can radically reduce the amount of pain and scarring experienced and can mean a full recovery without even needing to be admitted. Read our blog post on what to do if someone is burnt on our First Aid for Life blog.
Prevention is key. Consult this list for ways to reduce the risk of your children getting burnt at home.
Drinks
Hot drinks are an obvious cause. A hot drink is still hot enough to scald a baby or young child 15 minutes after it has been made! Always think carefully before putting hot drinks down, ensure they’re out of children’s reach.
Never breastfeed while drinking tea/coffee or pass hot drinks over people’s heads.
Bathroom Safety
Have a bath thermometer and check the water before you let your little one get in.
Always run cold water before hot so the bottom of the bath doesn’t get overheated.
Never leave a running bath unattended. Ideally have a bath tap/shower attachment with a thermostat installed to prevent the temperature changing mid hair-wash if someone else in the house uses a tap!
Heated towel rails are often low enough for a child to grasp and hot enough to remove their skin. Keep them turned off while your children are little.
Kitchen Safety
Always use the rear hob on your cooker and turn pan handles away from the edge.
Fix sturdy cupboard door locks where you store cleaning chemicals and dishwasher tablets. They are all very strong alkali that can quickly burn. This applies to bleach etc. in the bathroom too.
Use a kettle with a short or curly flex and keep it very clear of little hands.
Keep chairs and stools away from work surfaces and windows to avoid children climbing to otherwise out of reach areas.
When microwaving food or milk, thoroughly shake/mix it before giving it to your child as microwave heating results in hot spots which can burn.
Other Dangers
Button batteries can burn through a child’s oesophagus if swallowed. Check they are securely screwed into toys and be careful of batteries contained within greetings cards.
Curling tongs, hair straighteners and irons remain incredibly hot for a long time after they have been unplugged. Always keep them and their flex well out of reach.
Radiators should have covers.
Outdoors, keep children away from barbeques (even when you’ve finished using them) and be particularly vigilant around bonfires and fireworks.
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