How to treat burns in young children

We all know that accidents can happen at any moment.  It is impossible to watch our children all the time and there will always be that unguarded moment. But at the same time we don’t want to wrap children in cotton wool – after all scrapes and bruises are part of growing up. We just want to keep them safe and sound.

That said, accidents  are the single greatest cause of death among children and young people in the UK and put more children in hospital than any other cause. Many accidents can be prevented by putting the right safety measures in place and by learning basic first aid which can help stop a minor injury becoming a major one and even make the difference between life and death.

I talk with  parents and nannies daily answering questions about child safety and interestingly there are still some very strange myths out there about what to do.  For example recently a child minder on one of our paediatric first aid courses thought that butter should be put on a burn and when I asked other nannies on the same course a few put their hands up in agreement.  There were a  others who thought that toothe paste should be put on burns to cool them.

Of course none of these are correct. One of our trainers who is also a paediatric senior sister in a London  hospital,  sees many children in her casualty ward who have suffered a burn  and says that some parents are still not sure how to handle this sort of injury;  “They  need  to familiarise themselves with what to do , because immediate action can make a big difference to the outcome.” she says: “If parents know what to do when a child suffers a burn or scald, we would have far less need for skin grafts and plastic surgery.”

If there is any question of electrocution, the golden rule is not to touch the victim until the mains current is off and the child is no longer in touch with the source of electricity . If a burn  is from a fire, a hot surface, electric current or boiling water in the kitchen, the same rules apply. A young child’s burn should always be seen by a doctor, preferably in an accident and emergency ward.

So here are a few tips of how treat a burn 

If your child suffers a burn or scald

Treatment

·         Cool burn with cold running water for at least ten minutes. If cold water is not available, use another cold,, harmless liquid, such as milk

·         Get medical help for any burn or scald which is larger than a 50p coin

·         Remember to keep calm and give lots of comfort and reassurance to the child

·         DO NOT remove burnt clothing which has stuck to the skin. Burnt clothing is sterile and will protect the wound.

·         Remove carefully any jewellery, belts, restrictive clothing or footwear (that is not stuck to the skin) from the injured area before it begins to swell

·         Cover the burn with a clean, dry, non fluffy dressing and secure loosely.  A plastic bag or piece of cling film are ideal

·         DO NOT put butter oil or any sort of grease or lotion on a burn or scald – these can cause further damage and increase the risk of infection

·         DO NOT apply sticking plasters or any other type of adhesive dressing to the skin – they will cause pain and damage when removed

·         DO NOT break blisters – you may introduce infection into the wound

·         DO  NOT give the child anything to eat or drink with the exception of painkillers

·         Give the recommended dose of children’s painkiller syrup