Hot Liquids Can Burn

Written by Carol Beringer

Scalds and burns are a significant cause of childhood injury.

Children are at risk for scald burns from hot liquids, grease and scalding bath water. In 1999, 122 children were treated at the Alberta Children's Hospital Emergency Department for scalds or burns. Eighty per cent of these children were under six years of age.

The majority of scalds and burns occur in the home and are caused by contact with hot objects or liquids. A child's skin is thinner and more sensitive than that of an adult. As a result, children sustain burns more quickly and more deeply. Most burns can be prevented.

1. Check the tap water temperature. Turn the hot water heater down to 49° Celsius (120°F). Temperature cards to test water temperature were made available through Johnson & Johnson retailers during Safe Kids Week.
2. Keep children safely out of the way when cooking or making hot drinks.
3. Keep hot drinks away from children. Put a lid on hot drinks.
4. Test the batteries in smoke detectors every month. Replace the batteries once a year.

Hot tap water can be very dangerous. Tap water temperatures of 60º Celsius (140° F) or higher, common in many Calgary homes, can badly burn a child in less than one second. Children are at risk for scald burns from hot tap water when they are placed in bath water that hasn't been checked, or when they turn on the faucet themselves when in the tub.

Older children have also scalded their younger siblings when they try to help at bath time. The most effective way to reduce the risk of tap water scalds is to lower the temperature of the hot water heater to 49°C (120°F). This temperature is still hot enough for household use, but significantly reduces the risk of scald burns.

Burns happen very quickly when a child's skin is exposed to a hot liquid. Prevention is key. Keep your child out of the way when you are making hot food or drinks. Make sure to keep the cords from kettles and coffeepots high out of reach. If you're holding something hot, like a cup of coffee or tea, put your baby or toddler in a safe place like a high chair or playpen. You can't hold both a small child and a hot drink safely. Put a lid on hot drinks, even when you are at home, to further reduce the risk of spilling the hot liquid on a child.

A burn is perhaps the most devastating injury anyone can sustain. Treatment is painful and prolonged, and burn injuries often carry long-term consequences for the child and family - disfigurement, physical disability, emotional dysfunction, and repeated surgery and skin grafting. Burn injuries can be prevented, and public education is a proven and necessary strategy. Take the time to reduce the temperature of the hot water in your home and always remember to keep your child safe from hot food and drinks.