For National Burn Awareness Week, Shriners Children's is educating parents about the most common dangers in the home that can lead to severe burn injuries.

BOSTON, MA, USA, February 5, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Shriners Children’s sees roughly 3,000 pediatric burn patients every year at its healthcare facilities throughout the country. While the reasons and severity of those injuries vary, and often involve scalding burns from hot water. As part of National Burn Awareness Week which happens Feb. 4 through 10, the nonprofit healthcare system is working to educate parents and children about some of the most common dangers in the home that can lead to severe burn injuries.

Dr. Robert Sheridan, Chief of Staff and Director of Burn Service at Shriners Children’s Boston, has spent decades treating children who have suffered from burn injuries and is the past president of the American Burn Association. He said the most common burn accidents he sees often happen in the kitchen or bathroom.

“Most burns happen during routine activities with common household items and there’s often an element of distraction involved,” said Dr. Sheridan. “The parent might be trying to multitask and grab a cup of coffee while holding their baby or they take their eyes off their toddler for a minute while they are cooking. Unfortunately, it’s easy for a child to think items like a hot cup of coffee or a pot of boiling spaghetti are harmless because they see them every day and don’t associate them with danger. But parents need to remember scalding can cause third-degree burns almost instantly and the longer the child is exposed to the hot liquid, the deeper the burn will be.”

A few safety tips Dr. Sheridan encourages parents to remember include turning pot handles toward the back of the stove so children can’t reach them, pulling up electrical cords for items like curling irons or electric fryers so children can’t pull them down, avoiding holding your child while you’re doing things like draining hot water, and make sure your water heater is set to a low setting. He said parents also need to watch their children carefully when handling food and drink items like microwave mac and cheese, ramen noodles, hot chocolate or spaghetti sauce.

“Children are curious, and while we can’t control everything they do, I always encourage parents to try to control the environment as much as possible,” said Dr. Sheridan. “Educate children and other caregivers about the dangers of hot liquids and flammable liquids.”

Dr. Sheridan also said around this time of year, space heaters and glass fireplaces can be a common source of burn injuries so parent supervision around those items is always essential. Toddlers can be fascinated by the dancing flames but not have learned to associated them with burning. He added that if your child does experience a burn, don’t wait to seek out care.

“If your child does experience a serious burn, the sooner we can see them, the better chance we have to get the best outcome,” said Dr. Sheridan. “This is what our team does every day, and we take pride in the care and support we provide for the entire family. The recovery process from burn injuries can sometimes be challenging, but we’re here to help every step of the way.”

Shriners Children’s suggest parents do the following to help avoid burn accidents:
• Turn pot handles away in the kitchen.
• Remove having cords hanging down throughout your house.
• Don’t let young children play in the kitchen while someone is cooking and never leave them unattended by a stove that’s hot.
• Do not hold a baby while draining any foods or drinking hot drinks.
• Check the temperature of bath water before putting a child in the bathtub.

Shriners Children’s has four burn care facilities throughout the country; three of which are accredited by the American Burn Association (ABA) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) as verified pediatric burn centers. To learn more about Shriners Children’s burn care, go to www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/pediatric-care/burn-care.

About Shriners Children’s
Shriners Children’s improves the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, conducting innovative research, and offering outstanding education programs for medical professionals. Children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care, regardless of the families’ ability to pay, and receive all care and services in a compassionate, family-centered environment. For more information, please visit shrinerschildrens.org.

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Cutline: Shriners Children’s Raises Awareness During National Burn Awareness Week.

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