Burns

Posted by admin in Medical Products on 05 29th, 2010 | 12 responses

Children under five are more likely to suffer from severe burns and scalds than any other age group.

Every year, over 3000 pre-school children are taken to the hospital suffering from the burns and sadly, many die or are disfigured for life. Burns are the second most common cause of accidental death of young children, after traffic accident.

Children who are age under five especially toddlers, are active and inquisitive They are too young to realize the danger posed by heat and certain objects and situations. Young children also have small bodies and delicate skin, factors that can intensify the damage cause by a burn.

There are steps you can take that will reduce the risk to your child. The first is to have preventive safety measures in place at all times. Secondly, it is vital to know what to do and what treatment to apply if the burn occurs.

Types of burn

Burns can be divided into three main types. Depending on the skin damage, they may be superficial, partial thickness or full thickness. They are also described as first, second or third degree.

Superficial, or first degree burn: this type of burn is the mildest and most common of the three groups. Only the outer layer of the skin is damaged. There will be some redness, swelling and tenderness before the area heals naturally. The scar will probably heal within a week.

Partial thickness, or second degree burns: this type of burn is more serious. The outer layer of the skin burns through but there is no damage to underlying tissues. It is usually painful and there may be raised blisters as well as redness and swelling.

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