Winter burns alert

As winter settles in, doctors from The Children's Hospital at Westmead warn of the dangers from heaters, flammable nightclothes, hot water bottles and hot drinks. They are also concerned by the number of burns cases they see where inappropriate first aid has been administered, aggravating the severity and impact of the burn.

Immediate first aid will determine the severity and long term impact of a burn or scald. Remove clothing, apply cold water to the burn for at least 30 minutes and seek urgent medical attention. Butter, ointments or similar are not suitable first aid options. While cooling the burnt area, keep the rest of the child warm.

Hot water bottles and electric blankets are not recommended for use with young children. The risks of scalding from hot or boiling water are extremely high.

The temptation to use steam inhalation therapy to ease a child's congestion should also be resisted at all cost. The injuries sustained when boiling water is spilled on a child are horrific.

Contact burns are the most common injury to children from heaters. Reverse cycle air conditioning is possibly the safest option for heating a home with babies and toddlers. All heaters should have a safety cut out device and the elements should be encased. An oil-filled column heater is also a popular option but, as they heat up to approximately 90 degrees, children could suffer a burn if they held on to it for a period of time. Fixed heaters where possible should be firmly anchored to the wall or floor to prevent them being tipped over.

Clothing which ignites is the second most common cause of children's flame burns. All fabrics will burn so choose clothes, particularly nightclothes, that have been designed to reduce the risk of catching alight or are made from fabrics that are slow to burn. If clothes do catch alight stop the child from running, drop them to the ground and roll them to extinguish the flames. A fire blanket or woollen blanket will help to smother the flames.

For further information, please contact:

Gilly Paxton
Public Relations
The Children's Hospital at Westmead
(02) 9845 3568