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Safety & Care
Updated on 6 September 2022
Burns (caused by dry heat) and scalds (caused by hot, wet substances) are common injuries in babies and toddlers.
Your baby can be burnt or scalded easily as her skin is much more delicate than adult skin. So a drink or object that is hot but not burning for you, might cause a burn for your baby.
Burns and scalds are painful, so your baby will be frightened and upset. But before you try to comfort and soothe her, focus first on treatment.
Don't let guilt over the accident or your distress at seeing your baby in pain come in the way of attending to the burn. A quick response can help reduce the pain and severity of the burn, and help it heal faster.
So by tending to the burn, you are doing the best thing you can to help your baby.
1. Get your baby away from the source of heat and out of danger. If her clothing is on fire, smother the flames with a towel, heavy blanket, or whatever else is available.
2. Check how serious the burn is. You should take your baby to the nearest hospital as soon as you can if the burn:
You should also rush to the hospital if your baby has been exposed to a lot of smoke from a fire. This can cause breathing difficulties.
If the burn isn't serious enough to rush to the hospital, it's still important that you treat it immediately.
3. Cool the burn. Cool the burnt area as quickly as possible by placing it under cool running water for 10 to 20 minutes. Keep the water cool and the pressure low. A strong flow can damage the burnt skin.
The 10 to 20 minutes may seem to go on forever, but it will help your baby's injury to be less painful and heal better. Don't use ice or iced water, because it can limit the blood supply to your baby's injury. This won't help your baby's skin tissues to heal well.
Only cool the affected area, not the whole of your baby's body. If you cover all of your baby with water, she could get too cold. Don't blow on the burn because the wound is very prone to catching an infection.
4. Remove any tight clothing from near your baby's burn before it starts to swell. Do not remove clothing or material that is sticking to the burn. Leave this to the doctor.
5. Raise the burnt area of your baby's body to reduce swelling if possible.
6. Dress the burn. Cover the burn or scald using a sterile dressing being careful not to burst the blister if there is one. You can use a cotton gauze but don't use cotton wool as the fibres can stick to the wound. Don't put skin cream, honey, turmeric (haldi) paste, raw potato, raw egg white, fresh cream, oil or butter on your baby's injury. This will just hold in the heat. Only apply appropriate burn cream after consulting your baby's doctor.
Once you've given your baby first aid for her burn or scald, you can ease her pain with infant paracetamol in the dose recommended by her doctor.
You can find out the seriousness of the burn by looking at it carefully.
If your baby's burn isn't a medical emergency, after you have cooled and dressed it, and given your baby some paracetamol, you should show it to a doctor unless it is minor.
Large first degree burns like sunburns, or second degree burns with large blisters do need to be shown to a doctor to be sure you’re using the right ointment and caring for it correctly.
A first degree burn may heal in just a few days, but a second degree burn can take a couple of weeks. If your baby shows signs of infection while the burn is healing, take her to the paediatrician again. Signs of infection include:
If your baby has third degree burns – or less severe burns that are extensive – she may need to be monitored in the hospital. If your baby inhaled smoke, your doctor may want to keep your baby for observation for a few hours in the hospital as well to be sure there are no serious breathing problems. Your child may also be in shock due to loss of body fluids.
How long your baby stays in the hospital will depend on the severity of the burn, how much smoke she has been exposed to, and how dehydrated she may be.
Make your home safe and be careful around your baby when you're cooking and carrying or drinking hot drinks. Follow these steps:
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Written by
Priyanka Verma
Priyanka is an experienced editor & content writer with great attention to detail. Mother to an 11-year-old, she's a ski
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