Easy steps for treating burns or scalds on your kids

There is always an increased risk of children getting burnt on Bonfire Night – kids can easily get over excited and run around, getting too close to the fire which is a potentially dangerous situation of course. Burns are horrible and the pain and damage caused can be devastating. Knowing what to do if this should happen can make a massive difference in reducing the amount of pain and scarring and may avoid them having any tissue damage at all. A hot drink that was made nearly 10 minutes ago can still be hot enough to scald a baby.

For TREATING BURNS – TREAT THEM IMMEDIATELY WITH COOL RUNNING WATER

Immediately, but extremely carefully remove loose clothing covering the burn

DO NOT TAKE CLOTHES OFF IF THERE IS ANY RISK THAT THE SKIN HAS STUCK TO THEM OR IF THE SKIN HAS BLISTERED. Clothes often melt, sticking to the skin.

Hold the affected area under cool running water for at least 10 minutes
Reassure the child and keep them warm and dry. Be aware of any signs of clinical shock
Phone an ambulance; particularly if a large area is affected, if the skin is broken or blistered, or if they show signs of shock and keep the area under cool running water whilst you are waiting for the ambulance.
Never touch the burn, pop blisters, or put on any creams whatsoever.

Take burns very seriously and always seek medical advice.

If your child is on fire – Stop, Drop and roll them to put the flames out
Always get a medical professional to assess a burn.

It can be a scary time when your child has been burn, but the most important thing is to try and stay as calm as you can for them; the calmer you are, the more likely you will make those all important decisions in the first few moments after the burn/scalding event.

Helen

Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine! Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time. KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania. Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on. Get in touch TODAY!