Your Childrens Health

The way that you treat a child’s burns depends on the type of injury that they have suffered.

Sunburns- Apply cool (not ice) compresses to your child’s skin for 10 to 15 minutes.  Calamine lotion, applied between cool compresses, helps to dry out any blisters that may have formed.  Never apply butter, Vaseline, powders, or other fatty or oily lotions to the skin.

Chemical burns- When your child has been burned by a chemical agent, it is important remove any contaminated clothing immediately.  If the burn was caused by a powder, gently brush away any traces of the substance.  If you know what type of chemical caused the burn, follow the burn treatment directions on the container.  Rinse the affected area continuously with cool water.  Call emergency services immediately if the damage is severe, or of your child is having trouble breathing.

Electrical burns- If your child is being electrocuted, use a non-metallic object to remove the power source from your child.  Take your child to the emergency room, or call emergency services if they are not breathing.

First degree burns- Hot water or steam can cause a first degree burn, which is characterized by a red, inflamed area on the skin.  Apply cool (not ice) compresses and use pure aloe lotion to treat.

Second degree burns- If blisters form on the affected area, your child has experienced a second degree burn.  Apply cool (not ice) compresses and calamine lotion.  Do not use any oily, powdery, or fatty substances to treat.  Do not pop any blisters.  If your child is under a year old; or has burns to their face, feet, genitals, or hands (at any age) they should be taken to the emergency room.

Third degree burns- These are very serious injuries.  The sensitive inner layers of skin and nerves are damaged.  Remove any clothing that is not stuck to the wound.  Call emergency services immediately and apply cool, wet compresses to the affected area.  DO NOT immerse your child in cool or cold water; they must be kept warm and comfortable until help arrives.  Unless your child’s mouth has been burned, give them water or clear liquids to drink.

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 19th, 2006 at 2:52 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.