What to Do If Your Toddler Gets Burned

Just a few weeks ago, I unfortunately got the kind of phone call every parent of a toddler dreads. My 18 month baby girl was being watched by my mother (her grandmother), who loves her more than life itself. However, her grandmother made the classic mistake of underestimating a toddler's curiosity. She left a hot cup of tea on a coffee table for just a moment, and my daughter decided to check it out, causing second degree burns on her arm when she pulled on the cup and spilled it on herself.

The situation isn't a good one, but much more common than most parents would like to admit. I feel lucky to say that my mother did all the right things in treating the burn before paramedics could get to our home, and I'd like to share those things here. Here are some key steps you can take to treat your toddler's burn (or anyone of any age, for that matter), if you ever need the help one day (which hopefully you won't!).

Remain calm

It can break your heart and your resolve in half to hear a toddler screaming in pain, especially when you care for that toddler so much. But it will actually do more harm than good to panic and scream yourself. Try to steady yourself, and remember that this little person is helpless and depending on you for treatment and comfort. Try to remain calm, speak in a soft voice, croon and give nothing but gentle touches.

Strip the toddler

Immediately try to strip your toddler of all clothes. It may sound silly in an emergency, but you want to do this for three key reasons:
1. A toddler doesn't have the capacity to speak for themselves and tell you where it hurts. Stripping them of their clothes gives you the ultimate advantage in looking for all the places she's been burned.

2. Having no clothes in the way makes it much easier to treat the burn that much quicker.

3. A naked toddler also makes it much easier for an EMT to examine the child and treat any burns with their equipment and medications.

Treatment of the burn

There are a few things you can do immediately to treat the burn and possibly make it less severe in the long run:

1. First, rinse the burned area under lukewarm to cool water, and at a light stream (in other words, don't turn the faucet full up, as the water pressure can actually add to the pain). Rinsing in this way helps clean the burn but also soothe it.

2. Bandage the burn as soon as you can. Whether it's small enough to be covered with a band aid or big enough that you have to wrap it with a clean cloth, it should be covered to help prevent infection.

3. G ive infant Tylenol if you have it available, but only if you know just how much to give for your child's weight. Most parents will have a chart on hand or 'just know' from recent experience, but if you're unsure of the amount, it's better to just skip it and let a doctor or EMT administer the medication.

Call 911 and/or get to a hospital

Depending on your situation, you could either call 911 or get your toddler to the hospital. If you live only minutes away from the nearest hospital and have a car seat installed, you could call ahead and let them know you're coming in and just drive here. However, if you're more than a few minutes away, it's best to call 911. Not only will an ambulance get your toddler there faster, but the EMT's that drive that ambulance are trained to treat burns with first aid.

Grab supplies for the hospital

It may sound silly, but I learned this the hard way. Hospital trips can be pretty lengthy, and with my daughter's accident, we were there for nearly 5 hours. Try to keep a level head, and have someone watch your child for a moment (whether it's another adult, EMT, etc.) and quickly grab a few supplies, like blankets, clothes, snacks, etc. Hospitals will often time supply diapers if need be, but grab a few of those as well. If you have a baby or toddler, chances are you have a diaper bag that's always ready to go, and this would be a good thing to grab on the way out.

I hope these tips will help you in case you ever experience this kind of emergency with your toddler. Just think positive and keep a level head above all else. And please remember to always be careful around young children with anything hot so you can avoid an accident in the first place.

Sources:
Personal experience
ER Doctor (anonymous)