Thermal Burn (Child)
Thermal burns are caused by heat. They can be caused by hot liquids, fire, steam, or hot objects like cooking pots or pans. A child’s skin burns more easily than an adult’s skin. Most thermal burns are minor burns. Minor burns are also called first-degree or superficial burns. But some thermal burns can be severe.
A minor burn damages only the top layer of skin. The skin is painful, dry, and red. A minor burn heals in less than 1 week. It usually doesn't leave a scar. A severe burn can swell and blister. Some severe burns heal in 1 to 3 weeks without scarring, but the skin color may permanently change.
In the ER, burns are cooled with water, then carefully cleaned. The healthcare provider may remove the damaged skin (debridement). Your child may be given acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines to control the pain. An antibiotic is often put on the burn. A minor burn is left open to air. A severe burn may be covered with a sterile bandage. A child with a severe burn or with burns around the face, genitals, hands, feet, or joints may need to stay in the hospital for treatment and observation. Or they may be transferred to a regional burn center. This depends on how severe the burn is.
Home care
Follow these guidelines when caring for your child at home.
The healthcare provider may prescribe medicines for pain and infection. Follow the provider’s instructions for giving these medicines to your child. It's important to give your child pain medicine before changing a bandage.
General care
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Follow the provider’s instructions when caring for the wound and changing a bandage.
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Don’t put medical ointment or grease on the burn. This will hold in heat, make the burn more painful, and raise the risk for infection.
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Don’t rub the burn.
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Encourage your child to drink plenty of liquids, such as water, fruit juice, or clear soups. This will help prevent dehydration.
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Keep your child from scratching and picking at the burn. Keep their fingernails trimmed short.
Prevention
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Be sure that your child is not underfoot when you're cooking or drinking hot liquids. Don’t give a child scalding hot drinks or food.
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Don’t leave a child unattended near an open flame. Don’t let children play with matches or lighters. Keep these out of children’s reach.
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Put safety knobs on stoves and ovens.
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Turn the water heater thermostat below 120°F (48.8°C).
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Don’t smoke around your child. Keep lit tobacco products away from children.
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Teach children fire safety. Be sure they know what to do if a fire starts in the house.
Follow-up care
Follow up with your child’s healthcare provider as advised.
When to get medical care
Call your child's healthcare provider right away if your child has any of these:
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Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or as advised by the provider
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Pain not helped with pain medicine
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No interest in eating or drinking
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Too little pee
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Dark or strong-smelling pee
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Sunken eyes
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Redness or swelling that gets worse
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Bad-smelling fluid leaking from the burn
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Wound that doesn’t heal