Children can be seriously burned even if liquids are not at boiling temperature.
Child Severely Burned During School Lunch Accident
According to a KSAT news report, a child was severely burned at school after spilled soup landed on his foot last year.
February 4th through the 10th is National Burn Awareness Week, and a San Antonio family shared their burn story as a warning to other parents. Last year, during school lunch, 11-year-old Rex Rhode accidentally spilled a cup of hot soup onto his foot. He said he didn’t feel anything but a slight sting and kept the wet sock and shoe on. This caused his foot to be burned so badly that he underwent 3 surgeries to repair the damage.
Did You Know?
Water that is only 120°F can cause a serious burn within 10 minutes of exposure.
Child Burn Injury in San Antonio: How to Prevent Child Burns
As a parent, you do everything in your power to keep your kids healthy and safe. It’s a difficult job, especially when your kids are old enough to walk around but young enough not to know when something will hurt them.
For National Burn Awareness Week, let’s review some ways you can protect your child from the most common household burn affecting children in San Antonio and what to do if your child is burned.
Scald Burns — The Leading Cause of Child Burn Injury
Children in San Antonio are disproportionately affected by scald burns due to the combination of their thinner skin and curiosity for anything you don’t want them to touch. There are over 2400 children treated for scald burns every year, accounting for 65% of burn hospitalizations for children under 4.
Preventing Child Scald Burns
The two most common areas in which a child suffers a scald burn are the bathroom and the kitchen.
Preventing Bathroom Burns
- Test the water with the inside of your wrist or elbow,
- Use a temperature-regulating shower heads and faucets,
- Never leave your child unattended in the tub or under the supervision of a young child,
- Set your water heater to 120°F or lower,
- Place your child on the opposite side of the faucet, and teach them that the faucet is not a toy.
Preventing Kitchen Burns
- Never hold a child while cooking or eating hot liquids,
- Keep hot liquids out of reach of children,
- Boil water on the back burner and turn the pot handles toward the stove,
- Always supervise children while cooking,
- Never heat formula in the microwave and test before feeding children,
- Keep coffee pots and other appliances out of reach and tuck cords behind.
Treating a Scald Burn
If your child is burned over a wide area, burned on the face or throat, is having difficulty breathing, or the burn is deep red, white, or black, seek immediate medical attention.
If hot liquid spills on your child, remove any wet clothing and rinse the area in cool water to remove any residue or grease that will continue burning the skin. Don’t use any cold butter, toothpaste, or other home remedy — these can cause the burn to become worse.
Was Your Child Burned at School or Daycare? Call Carabin Shaw.
If your child’s school or daycare negligently allowed your child to be burned after you trusted them with their health and safety, you may be entitled to financial compensation.
Call Carabin Shaw to find out for free today at 800-862-1260 or use the live chat to get your case evaluated by our experienced child-injury attorneys. We look forward to serving you.
Contacting a Carabin Shaw attorney is free and does not obligate you to work with the firm.