Please keep children away from the stove! We had a scalding incident in
Chattanooga this week, leaving two young children with serious burns after
a pot of boiling water was accidentally pulled off the stove. The children
are receiving treatment at a burn center. These mishaps can cause
devastating injuries and we don’t want to see this happen to any other kids
in our community.
Scald burns are the number one cause of burn injury to children under the
age of four and thousands of children are burned by hot liquids each year.
Because children have thinner skin than adults, they are more adversely
affected by scald burns. Some scald burns can even result in serious injury
or death.
These incidents are most likely to happen at home when a child knocks over
a cup of hot liquid, gets splashed by hot liquid carried by an adult, grabs
a pot off the stove or pulls on hanging tablecloths or placemats.
There are steps you can take to ensure your child does not need to suffer
through a scald burn. Follow these tips to ensure safety:
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Keep hot liquids out of reach of your child. Put hot liquids on high
counters or tables where toddlers or young children cannot reach them.
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Do not place hot liquids on placemats or tablecloths (children can pull
the cloths and spill the hot liquid).
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Do not heat formula/milk in the microwave and always test the
temperature of the baby’s formula and food before feeding.
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Never hold your infant or child while holding hot liquids or food.
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Turn pot handles towards the back of the stove and never leave food
cooking on the stove unattended.
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Keep frying pans, pressure cookers, crock pots and coffee pots out of
your child’s reach; tuck appliance cords away.
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Use travel mugs with tight-fitting lids for all hot drinks.
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Use the back burners on the stove, away from the reach of children. Turn
pot handles towards the back of the stove.
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When cooking, put your toddler in a safe area, such as a high chair or
play pen.
-
Never leave a child alone in a kitchen.
If Your Child Gets a Scald Burn
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Remove any clothing over the scald or that got wet to stop continued
burning.
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Cool the burn with cool tap water for 10 to 20 minutes. This reduces the
depth of the burn.
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Cover the burn in a dry, clean, non-stick bandage or cloth.
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Do not use ice, butter, lotions or oil on burns.
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Watch small burns for blisters and call your child’s health care
provider if this happens.
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Take your child to the emergency room for burns that cause blisters or
burns that cause the skin to be open and blackened.
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Call 911 if the burn area is large.