Parents Cautioned: It Doesn't Take a Fire to Burn a Child
Jacksonville, Florida, February 6, 2008 -- Safe Kids Northeast Florida reminds parents and caregivers that fire is just one cause of burn injuries; children can also be seriously injured by hot liquids, heating appliances, hot pots and pans, electrical currents and chemicals.
Among all accidental injuries, fire and burns are the number-five cause of death in children ages 14 and under -- in part because young children cannot recognize heat-related hazards quickly enough to react appropriately. A child will suffer a full-thickness burn (third-degree burn) after just three seconds of exposure to 140-degree water, and will need surgery and skin grafts.
Each year, approximately 116,600 fire/burn-related injuries occur to children. In 2006, more than 100,600 children were treated in emergency rooms for burns. Approximately 8,000 children ages two to 14 were scalded by hot water in 2006. This type of burn is called a "scald burn," and is a more prevalent type of burn-related injury in younger children than "contact burns," which are more prevalent in older children and occur when fire is contacted directly. For children ages zero to 14 years, there were 512 fire/burn deaths in 2004.
"Kids are also at risk around steam irons, curling irons and space heaters," says Cynthia Dennis, RN, Safe Kids Northeast Florida coordinator. "There's a lot you can do around the home to minimize the risk of burn injuries in everyday life."
Safe Kids Northeast Florida urges caregivers to:
It is still important to take precautions against fire, too.
"You need a smoke alarm on each level of your house and in every sleeping area, and make sure each one actually works," says Dennis. Test your smoke alarms once a month and replace the batteries every six months (except for lithium batteries that last for 10 years, according to manufacturer's instructions). A working smoke alarm reduces the risk of dying in a fire by about 50 percent.
"According to the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, the combination of smoke alarms and sprinklers cuts your chances of dying in a fire by 82 percent," says Dennis. The U.S. Fire Administration, National Fire Protection Association, Underwriters Laboratories, insurance companies and state associations of fire marshals are among the coalition members endorsing home sprinkler systems.
For more information about burn prevention, visit www.usa.safekids.org.
