What Should I Do If My Child Has Burned Himself With Boiling Water?

My child burned himself with boiling water! Most parents will undoubtedly panic when they have to experience such an unfortunate accident with their children.

With this in mind, it is extremely important to respond appropriately to these emergencies. Read on to find out what to do about the different degrees of burns your child could sustain.

We must take all reasonable precautions and safety measures to prevent potential accidents. At the same time, we need to know general first aid to deal with an emergency, for example, if a child has burned himself with boiling water.

What to do if my child has burned himself with boiling water?

If your child gets burned by boiling water, the first thing to do is to stay calm. You must then carefully follow the instructions that we are going to give you. This way you can give your child the help he needs in such an emergency.

The first thing to do is quickly remove the child from the kitchen. Then move him to a light, airy room. Here you can evaluate whether your child has a first, second or third degree burn.

You can decide what treatment to give him – whether the burn can be treated at home or whether you need to go straight to the hospital.

If your child has suffered moderate burns from boiling water, you can remove any clothing that is in contact with the skin affected by the boiling water. Then apply cold water to the affected area for about 3 to 5 minutes. This will help to relieve the pain.

It is necessary that you pay special attention to the condition of your child’s clothes. If you can see they are attached to his skin, don’t touch them at all. Instead, go straight to the hospital.

What to do with first degree burns?

First degree burns only cause superficial damage to the skin. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t cause a lot of pain and can become very red and inflamed. First degree burns will give the skin a reddish color as if it were a sunburn, and there will be no blisters.

Some simple treatments for very minor burns include:

• Cool the affected area with cold water for at least 5 minutes. It is important to note that you should never apply ice to the wound as this will exacerbate the irritation.

• Giving your child ibuprofen-based medications.
• Applying a hypoallergenic moisturizer, such as aloe vera or other soothing remedies.

If you notice that the child’s clothing is attached to his skin, do not try to remove it and go to the hospital immediately.

First degree burns can heal within 5 days without leaving any scar. However, if the affected areas are the face, genitals, hands or feet, always go to the doctor. Even if you think the burn is very mild, the skin in these areas is very fragile and requires special attention.

What to do with second and third degree burns?

Burns of the second and third grade scarring and can leave marks on the skin if not handled properly. If you don’t treat burns correctly, the skin can become distorted or scarred.

If you consider it a fairly serious burn, you should immediately call an ambulance or go to the hospital yourself if you think that would be faster.

In second or third degree burns, the skin reddens and swells. Blisters appear immediately and in the most severe cases, the skin may appear whitish or black. The burned area may feel numb, but at the same time with a lot of pain.

Of course it is important to know that the best treatment is prevention. Burns caused by hot water are extremely painful. In the worst case, in just three seconds of contact with the boiling water, the skin can already suffer third-degree burns.

If in doubt about what to do about a burn on your child’s skin, contact your doctor or go to the hospital. If your child burns from boiling water, you should not wait to treat it.