Burns and blisters In our research we have found that while burns and scalds are some of the most common injuries affecting babies, they are also the ones that receive incorrect first-aid treatment most frequently. Babies learn by exploring, which involves climbing, touching, tasting and pulling things. One of the most common causes of scalds in the home is a baby that pulls a hot drink onto himself. Even if the drink contains milk and does not feel hot to an adult if can still cause significant damage to a baby’s sensitive skin. Clearly prevention is better than cure so keep hot drinks, kettles, coffee pots, saucepans and appliance leads out of reach of babies. Placing a baby in bath water that is too hot is another common cause of scalding. Always test the water before bathing a baby and use a bath thermomether if in doubt. Your heating radiator also presents a burns risk to a baby. Your baby is not old enough to understand that the cold object that sits on your wall, which is really useful when he wants to stand up, can also be very hot. It has also been known for babies to fall against radiators and receive significant injuries. This can be avoided by fitting temperature control valves to your radiators or by fitting radiator guards. Electrical appliances including toasters, heaters and hairdryers appear to hold a particular fascination for some babies and should always be kept out of reach. In terms of outdoors, barbecues present a particular danger to babies. Hot food, hot coals, hot drinks and a large number of people moving around mean injuries such as burns and scalds can happen all too easily. How to treat a burn When treating a burn or scald the aim is to cool the affected area as quickly as possible to relieve the pain and to reduce the risk of infection. A burn is an injury that occurs from direct contact with heat or a flame. Scalds tend to be caused by liquid or steam. The treatment for burns and scalds is the same. The most effective way of treating a burn or scald is to place the affected area under cold running water for at least ten minutes. Medical research tells us that if you do not do this the skin and underlying tissue will continue to ‘cook’. We do not recommend creams or ointments as part of the initial treatments as they are not effective unless the area is cooled properly first. If a cream is applied as part of first aid, it may have to be removed once the baby receives hospital treatment and this can obviously prolong the pain and discomfort as well as delay the healing process. In treating a baby, it is important not to immerse his whole body in water as this may cause hypothermia (see Chapter 7, page 94). A shower can be used to cool a burn providing you can support the baby in the shower. We suggest you only use the showerhead to cool the affected area as covering the baby with cold water could result in hypothermia. If using a shower ensure it is set to ‘cool’ and the water pressure is low. A shower with high-pressure water could cause further pain to the baby. It is common for swelling to occur following a burn. Therefore, it is important to remove any tight clothing before the swelling occurs. Do not remove any clothing or material that may be sticking to a burn. It is possible to remove clothing while the burn is being cooled. Once the area has been cooled, you should cover the burn with a clean non-fluffy material, for example a clean pillowcase. This will help prevent the wound becoming infected and reduce the pain. An alternative dressing for a burn is a clean plastic bag such as a sandwich bag, or cling film. A bag is particularly useful for treating burns to the hand and lower arm. Once the bag is placed over the hand or arm, secure it lightly in place using a plaster or bandage. Cling film is best used for arms or legs. Discard the first piece of film as it may be contaminated by touch or food. Place a clean piece of film loosely around the burn. Once the burn is cooled and cover