Prevent Heat Burns in Young Children
Heat burns, also called thermal burns, are caused by contact with
fire, steam, hot objects, or hot liquids. Children younger than age 5 are most
often burned by hot liquids (scalding). Tap water is a leading cause of
nonfatal burns.
Protect your child from heat burns in the following ways:
- Keep children away from kitchen appliances,
irons, fireplaces, portable heaters, or wall heaters. Use screens to block off
areas, if needed. When outdoors, keep your child away from barbecue grills and
campfires.
- Install scald-resistant faucets in sinks, showers, or
bathtubs that children use. These fixtures have built-in thermostats to control
the maximum temperature of the water. Set the thermostat so that the water
temperature does not exceed
120°F (48.9°C).
- Use kitchen range dial protectors, which prevent a child from
turning on the heating elements of a stove.
- Cook with pot handles
turned away from the edge of the stove and on the back burner when possible,
out of the reach of children.
- Be careful not to spill hot beverages
when carrying or drinking them around children.
- Consider buying
pajamas made of flame-resistant fabric for your child.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Susan C. Kim, MD - Pediatrics |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics |
| Last Revised | November 30, 2010 |