Parenthood
Burns & Scalds
Basic prevention is key
- Hot drinks are an obvious cause. Always think carefully before putting your hot drink down and ensure that your little one is unable to reach it.
- Never breastfeed whilst drinking a hot cup of tea, or pass hot drinks over babies’ heads.
Emma Hammet of First Aid for Life talks about the dangers around our homes and how to treat burns and scalds when accidents happen.
Burns are amongst some of the most painful of all first aid injuries and the effects can be long-lasting. It is critical that everyone is aware of the most common causes of burns, in order to prevent them in the first place.
More than 500 children under five are taken to hospital every week because of burns and scalds, and the majority of these burns are due to hot drinks. Crawlers and toddlers are most at risk.
Children don’t yet have the reflex to move away from something hot. Their skin is up to 15 times thinner than that of an adult and consequently offers less protection. The damage tends to be more severe and because they have a smaller body surface area, the burn covers a larger proportion of the body. The greater the area covered, the more serious the injury and impact for the child.
Burns are frightening and the pain and damage caused can be devastating. Knowing what to do immediately someone is burnt can radically reduce the amount of pain and scarring experienced and can often lead to a full recovery without even needing to be admitted.
The physical and psychological damage from a serious childhood burn can last well into adulthood.
Bathroom safety
- Always have a bath thermometer and check the water carefully before you let your child get in.
- Always run cold water first and then the hot so that the bottom of the bath is not 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!
- Bleach and cleaning chemicals are very strong alkalis that can quickly burn; ensure they are safely out of reach.
- A heated towel rail is perfect height for a child to grasp and hot enough to remove their skin. Turn them off whilst 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 (these are extremely corrosive and can cause serious damage).
- Use a kettle with a short or curly flex and keep it very clear of little hands. Keep chairs and stools at the other end of the room so that children are not tempted to climb up to otherwise out-of-reach areas.
- If microwaving food or milk, thoroughly shake and mix before giving it to your child as microwave heating results in hot spots which can burn.