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Child safety: How to prevent burns
Children learn by touching things — including those that can be dangerous. Prevent burns by taking these important child safety measures.
By Mayo Clinic staffChild safety is a foreign concept for most young explorers. But basic child safety precautions are important, especially when it comes to fire safety and burns.
One of the most difficult lessons young children may learn is that some things — such as stoves, radiators and flickering flames — can be painfully hot. And if children play with matches or lighters, the threat may extend to the entire family. Take simple child safety precautions to prevent burns and the dangerous situations that cause them.
Child safety at home
Many ordinary things in a home — from bath water and hot food to electrical outlets — can cause childhood burns. To prevent burns, follow these child safety tips:
- Reduce water temperature. Set the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 F (48.9 C) or lower. Consider installing anti-scald devices on bathtub faucets and showerheads. Always test the water temperature before your child gets in the tub.
- Avoid hot spills. Don't drink or carry hot beverages or soup while holding a child. When you're using the stove, turn the handles of your pots and pans inward. Don't hold a baby while cooking.
- Establish 'no' zones. Block access to the stove and fireplace, and make space heaters and hot water heaters inaccessible.
- Unplug irons. Store items designed to get hot, such as clothes irons, unplugged and out of reach.
- Test food temperature. Food or liquids warmed in a microwave may heat unevenly. Never warm a baby's bottle in the microwave.
- Choose a cool-water humidifier or vaporizer. If you use a hot-steam vaporizer, keep it out of reach.
- Cover outlets. Place plastic plugs in electrical outlets. Inserting a fork, key or other metal object into an outlet could result in an electrical burn.
Also, check product labels to make sure mattresses and pajamas meet federal flammability standards. Avoid loosefitting garments made of 100 percent cotton, such as oversized T-shirts.
Next page(1 of 2)
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- Burn injury fact sheet. National Safe Kids Campaign. http://www.preventinjury.org/pdfs/burn_injury.pdf. Accessed Nov. 24, 2008.
- Home safety tips: Backyard safety tips. Home Safety Council. http://www.homesafetycouncil.org/safety_guide/sg_backyard_w004.aspx. Accessed Nov. 24, 2008.
- CPSC warns of hazards from furnaces, space heaters and fireplaces. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06053.html. Accessed Nov. 26, 2008.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 8, 2008.
- Baby-proofing your home. National Safety Council. http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000701-d000800/d000702/d000702.html. Accessed Dec. 4, 2008.
- Burns: Avoiding household burns. American College of Emergency Physicians. http://www3.acep.org/patients.aspx?id=25990. Accessed Nov. 26, 2008.
- Fire safety tips. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/firesafety.htm. Accessed Dec. 4, 2008.
