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Burns and scars
Burns and fires are a leading cause of accidental death in children. Most of the burn accidents occur at home and nearly 75% of these scalding burns are preventable. The most common and serious burns in children include bath hot water or spilling of other hot liquid, hot food, electrical outlets, fire, etc. Children’s skin is 30-40% thinner than adults. So all of these can cause scalding burns to the child’s skin. And if the child’s burns are deep then there are chances it leaves scars. Hot tap water burns cause more deaths and hospitalisations than burns from any other hot liquids. One of the most important safety measure each parent should follow is keep children’s play areas away from the kitchen.
Checklist
Common Questions
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Q. Are children more risk of burns?
A. Children's skin is 30-40% thinner than adults. It cuts, bruises and burns easily. A simple hot cup of tea can cause scalding burns in a child.
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Q. What are the common causes of burns in children?
A. Common causes of burns in children are:
- a) Kitchen and hot water for bath are the commonest causes of burns.
- b) Do not allow any role play inside the kitchen - the child loves the sound, sight and smell of Indian kitchens. The hot food / cooking range are very high risk for serious burns.
- c) Always check water temperature forth especially in children.
- d) Never carry a cup of hot tea and baby at the same time.
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Q. What immediate First Aid is to be done for burns?
A. Please clean the area with clean water, cover the area with clean cloth and bring to hospital. Do not apply anything over the wound. It allows proper assessment of the burn injury. Current developments in plastic surgery allow for very good cosmetic results for burn injuries.
