Warning for Merseyside parents as hundreds of children hospitalised with burns
Hot drinks and boiling kettles are the most common cause
Last updated 13th Oct 2021
There's a stark warning for parents as specialists at Alder Hey tell us they're dealing with hundreds of cases of children being burnt every year.
In the space of 12 months, 450 children are treated at Merseyside's children's hospital for burns and scalds, with half needing to be kept in due to the severity of their injuries.
Specialists at Alder Hey are urging parents to take extra precautions to protect their kids from what could be a devastating injury, both physically and emotionally.
Louise Campbell, a burns nurse at Alder Hey hospital said:
"A burn can be a life-changing injury. It can damage the skin of a baby, their skin is a bit thinner than ours in adulthood.
"Children suddenly go from these babies that aren't moving around much to suddenly they can reach things that you never thought they could reach previously.
"Put all hot implements, such as irons or hair straighteners, out of reach of children at a height. Put fire guards around heaters so children can't get near the metal surrounding them. It's to try to prevent what can be a devastating injury occurring."
The conversation surrounding burns has arisen to raise awareness as today is National Burn Awareness Day.
Firefighters from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service are also helping to spread the word by visiting local communities this week, from retail parks to nurseries.
Prevention teams will also be passing on Burn Prevention and First Aid messages during routine Safe and Well visits.
Group Manager Steve McCormick, who manages the Service’s Prevention Department, said:
“Burns Awareness Week is a time to focus on the small actions at home that can help prevent burns injuries such as where your kettle is, is it too close to the edge of the work surface, and are hot drinks out of the reach of small children?”
In Cheshire during 2020, 50 children aged four and under attended a hospital burns unit due to injuries from hot spills.
Nationally, every day 30 babies and toddlers go to hospital with a hot drink scald.
The main causes from burns and scalds on children are hot drinks and kettles, so the advice is to make sure they are out of the reach of babies and toddlers.
Steve added:
“As a Service, we need to make sure that we are doing all we can to promote awareness of the risks that burns come with and, more importantly, the ways to prevent and react to burns in the safest possible way.”
What should you do if your child gets a burn or a scald?
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service says the following advice may help someone in an emergency and could reduce the severity of a burn or save a life:
- STOP, DROP, ROLL - If your clothes catch fire, running around won't help. You must always stop, drop to the ground (cover you face with your hands) and roll over and over. Make sure you roll over until you’re sure the fire is out.
- COOL, CALL, COVER - Good first aid following a burn or scald can make an enormous difference in recovery times and the severity of scarring. First aid advice from the British Burn Association:
• Cool the burn with running cold tap water for a minimum of 20 minutes and remove all clothing and jewellery (unless it is melted or firmly stuck to the wound). Do not use frozen peas or ice, as this can damage the burn and cause the burn to become deeper.
• Cover with cling film or a sterile, non-fluffy dressing or cloth. Make sure that the covering is placed over the burn and not wrapped around the affected area, to assist the covering be removed for medical examination. Make sure the patient is kept warm.
• Call for help: 999, 111 or local GP for advice.