Boiling water spilled on 20-month-old baby! 27 percent of their body burned

In Istanbul's Güngören district, a 20-month-old baby was allegedly burned when boiling water from a kettle spilled on them on December 23 while they were at home with their family. After the incident, the baby was taken to a nearby hospital and, following initial intervention, was referred to the Pediatric Burn and Treatment Center at Ümraniye Training and Research Hospital. Examinations revealed that approximately 27 percent of the baby's body was burned, with the majority of the injuries on their arms and legs.

After receiving treatment there, the baby was discharged, and the Head of the Burn Center and Pediatric Surgery Specialist, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Arpacık, provided information regarding his patient's condition and burn cases in general.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Arpacık stated, "We have 10 beds with level 3 intensive care capabilities and 4 regular ward beds. We have been serving burn patients for about 5 years with 1 specialist, 2 general practitioners, a total of 19 nurses, 5 staff members, and 1 secretary. Our patient is about 2 years old and was admitted to another hospital with 27 percent second-degree burns after a hot water spill at home. They brought the patient to our hospital from there. Approximately 80-90 percent of the burn areas healed with what we call conservative treatment, using creams, burn dressings, and bandages. Hot liquid burns are usually second-degree burns."

"CHILDREN ACCOUNT FOR NEARLY HALF OF ALL BURN CASES, WE MUST PREVENT THIS"

Pointing out that children make up the vast majority of burn cases, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arpacık continued his words as follows:

"It is the same around the world and more or less in Turkey; pediatric burns account for nearly half of all burns. The vast majority of these are children under the age of 5. More than 90 percent of burns in children under 5 occur at home and are the result of preventable household accidents. We must take precautions to prevent pediatric burns. Very important duties fall upon the media, social media, families, and educators.

We specifically recommend that children not be allowed in the kitchen alone. Studies show this; most burns occur in the kitchen or in places where meals are eaten or tea is consumed. If possible, parents of children under 5 should not place hot liquids or hot food on tables or coffee tables at home. If the burn area is not too large, we first want them to hold it under running tap water for 10-15 minutes. We want them to hold it under running water at room temperature, not very cold water or ice.

What this does is reduce the heat there and prevent the burn from deepening. We ask them to cover it with a clean cloth and apply to the nearest health facility, preferably a pediatric burn center."

News Source: İHA