Burn Safety

(Pictured: Kirsten Balding, RN BSN)
Kirsten Balding from Portland, Oregon sends this information from a recent edition of Parent Magazine.

"Scalds are the number one cause of burn injuries in children under the age of four. Almost all of these injuries are preventable. As parents, grandparents, baby sitters and other child care providers, we can all be more aware of what most often causes burn injuries in children and learn how to prevent them. Here are some tips to help keep your family safe from burns in your home.

In the bathroom:
Set the water heater thermostat to 120 degrees, most water heaters are set around 150 degrees or greater. It can take less than one second at these temperatures to receive a serious burn.
Stir the bathwater with your hand to eliminate hotspots.
Test the water with your hand or thermometer before putting the child in the bathtub. If it feels too hot for your hand, it is too hot for your child.
Stay with your child at all times. It only takes a second for a child to reach up and turn the hot water faucet on when you are not in the room.

In the kitchen:
Keep pot handles turned away from edges of the stove. If possible, cook on the back burners.
Coil appliance cords away from the edge of the counter; your child can grab these and pull a whole pot of coffee or a crock-pot full of food down onto herself.
Do not use tablecloths when there are young children around. Babies often grab for tablecloths, if there is hot food on the table, they can pull it down on themselves.
Do not eat hot foods or beverages while holding a child on your lap. Young children bounce around and can grab at coffee cups.
Keep you children safe by creating a NO ZONE in your kitchen while cooking.

Burn injuries are permanent, life altering, and most importantly preventable. Contact your local burn center today to learn how to prevent scalds as well as other burn injuries in your home and in your communities."

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