Accidents at home can happen easily, especially when there are infants in the house. It's important to be prepared for an emergency or possible injury. Owning a first-aid kit and having the number to your child's pediatrician easily accessible is a good place to start. One occurrence that most forget to prepare for is minor skin burns, especially if your infant is the one with the injury. It doesn't seem like likely, but dangers such as extreme sun exposure, getting to close to a hot oven or knocking over your steaming cup of coffee are more common than you think.
Step 1
Turn on the water in your sink to a cool temperature and place the affected area of your child's skin under the running water. Keep it there for about a minute. This will help cool the burn without damaging the skin by exposing it to extreme temperatures immediately after the injury.
Step 2
Grab a resealable plastic bag and fill it with a small amount of ice. Wrap the washcloth around the bag to prevent it from being too cold on your child's skin. If possible, keep the bagged ice on the burned area for to 5 minutes. This will help reduce inflammation on the skin.
Step 3
Apply your baby's diaper rash ointment directly on the burn. Doing so will help protect the damaged skin from infection.
Step 4
Cover with a bandage for a small burn or a loose non-stick gauze pad for larger burns. Keep the are clean, dry, and covered. Be sure to change the bandage and reapply the ointment twice a day.
Tips and Warnings
- To help prevent possible accidents involving burns in your home, do not keep hot food or drinks within your child's reach and keep the handles of your pots and pans turned inward while you are cooking. It is also a good idea to turn the thermostat down on your water heater to prevent scalding.
- If you child's burn is larger than 2 to 3 inches in diameter or looks like it covers more than 10% of her body, do not use cold water or ice, as this may severely effect your child's body temperature. Seek medical attention for your child immediately by either calling your pediatrician or taking her to the nearest emergency room.
Things You'll Need
- Cold Water
- Ice
- Small resealable bag
- Wash Cloth
- Diaper rash ointment
- Bandages or sterile gauze pads
