RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND that one-year-olds are most at risk of getting burns or scalds.
Hot drinks, hair straighteners and irons cause the most burns.
The study was carried out by researchers at Cardiff University. They examined 1,215 children’s cases and found that 72 per cent were younger than five.
Among the under-fives, hot drinks were responsible for 35 per cent (878) of the burns while 57 of the children suffered injuries from touching hair straighteners.
The report found that children made up half of all burns and scald cases in hospitals, with one-year-olds 10 times more likely as other children to get burned.
The HSE have outlined a list of potential burn risks for children. They advise parents to run cool or lukewarm water on burns and scalds for at least 15 minutes afterwards.
They also warn how:
Devastating injuries are caused every year in Ireland as a result of burns and scalds. The lasting effects, both physical and emotional, of these childhood injuries can be very difficult to overcome.
Children’s skin is a lot thinner then adults so they suffer deep burns quicker.
The European Child Safety Alliance report that “burns and scalds are the fourth leading cause of death in the European Union for children”.
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