2/2/22 blog post

burn prevention and safety tips

preventing and treating burns in children

When we hear a child has been burned, we commonly think of fire as the culprit right? Fire is just one-way kids can get burned and it is extremely important to know what causes burns, take precautions, and supervise and educate children to avoid burns. Scald burns from hot water and other liquids are the most common burns seen in early childhood. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, fire/burn related injuries are among the leading ten causes of unintentional injury in children ages 0 to 5, with children 2 and younger at greatest risk. Since young children are still developing, they have thinner skin than adults, which can result in more serious injuries from a burn or scald.

In 2021, Dayton Children’s emergency department saw 274 children from burn related injuries. Burns from hot objects and scalds made up 80% of the injuries treated, with 33% of them being from hot objects and 47% from scalds. Common burns from hot objects we see include burns from stovetops, pots/pans, curling/flat irons, irons and items coming out of the microwave. While common burns from scalds we see include burns from cups/bowls of hot liquids (tea, coffee, soup), pots with liquid (soup, hot water) and bathwater.

How hot are they?

Cup of coffee - 180 F
Bowl of soup - 210 F
Boiling water - 212 F
Baking a cake - 350 F
Flat iron - 400 F

Although these burns in young children can be life-threatening, the good news is they are preventable. Check out these safety tips from Safe Kids Worldwide to prevent these serve burns we see in children.

Create a kid-free zone. Teach younger children to stay at least three feet away from your cooking space. If you need to watch babies while cooking, place them in a highchair outside of the kid-free zone where you can see them.

Keep hot objects out of children’s reach. Cook on the back burners of the stove and turn pot handles away from the edge. Keep hot foods and drinks away from the edge of your counters and tables.

Teach older children how to cook safely. Make sure they don’t leave the kitchen while cooking and use oven mitts or potholders to carry hot pots and pans.

Check bathwater temperature. Before placing your child in the bath, check the water temperature on the inside of your wrist. The water should feel warm to the touch, not hot.

Watch children around fireplaces. When a gas fireplace is turned on, the glass is extremely hot and can take more than an hour to cool down after it is turned off. Keep children away from the fireplace to prevent burns from the hot glass.

Dayton Children’s knows that accidents can happen. If your child experiences a burn or scald, be sure to follow these safety tips on how to treat the burn:

Remove the hot, wet clothing—don't forget to check and remove an infant's diaper if it has absorbed hot liquids.
Cool the burned area immediately with room-temperature tap water.
Do not use ice or very cold water. Ice or very cold water will further damage burned skin.
Cooling should only take a few minutes. Do not over-cool the area. Carefully touch the burned area. When the burned area is the temperature of the unburned skin, you have cooled enough.
Gently dry the area and cover burn with a clean, dry bandage or towel.
Do not use butter, first aid ointment or burn cream. These items tend to retain heat and cause more pain.
Keep the burned victim warm while you transport them to the hospital or wait for emergency services to arrive. Cover with a blanket. Burned skin loses body heat rapidly—even in warmer months.