First Aid For Burns & Scalds

Key points about first aid for burns and scalds

• tamariki (children) have thinner skin that burns faster, deeper and at lower temperatures compared to adults
• call an ambulance if your child has a burn to their face, hand, genitals or airway (nose, mouth or throat)
• call an ambulance If the burn is larger than your child's forearm 
• if you aren’t sure how deep or severe a burn is, take your child to see a health professional  immediately
• run cool water over a burn continuously for 20 minutes
• keep a burn covered with a non-stick dressing or loose plastic wrap

When to get medical help for burn and scalds

Call an ambulance

Call 111 within New Zealand (use the appropriate emergency number in other countries) and ask for urgent medical help if your child’s burn is:

• on their face, hands or genitals
• involving their airway (their nose, mouth or throat) 
• involving their eyes
• serious and causing a lot of pain
• larger than their forearm 

See a health professional urgently 

See a health professional urgently if your child’s burn is: 

• the size of a 20-cent piece or bigger
• deep and looks white (even if it’s not causing your child pain)
• causing severe pain 
• painful and pain relief medicine like paracetamol and ibuprofen isn’t taking the pain away 

If you are unsure how bad or deep the burn is, get medical help.

What is a burn or scald?

Burn

A burn is an injury to the skin caused by touching something hot, such as a heater or hot water.

Scald

A scald is a burn caused by hot liquids or steam.

Basic first aid for burns and scalds

If your child has a burn - there are three things to do:

• STOP the burn
• COOL the burn
• COVER the burn 

STOP the burn

Check that the environment is safe and that there is no more risk of injury.

Remove the source of the burn or take the child away from the source of the burn. 

Remove clothing or jewellery from around the burn if it comes away freely. You may need to cut clothes away to remove them.

If the skin or burn has clothing stuck to it, and it’s causing pain to remove, leave it.

COOL the burn

Hold the burned area under cool running water continuously for 20 minutes.

Don’t delay getting medical help if you think the burn is severe.

If your child is upset or feels cold and you can’t cool the burn - get immediate medical help.

COVER the burn

Keep the burn covered after you’ve finished running cool water over it or while you’re taking your child to a health professional. 

Use a loose, light, non-sticky dressing if you have one. Or wrap cling film or a plastic bag loosely around it.

If the burn is on an arm, hand, leg or foot - keep it raised. 

Cover your child with a blanket and keep them warm.

Things to avoid with burns 

• do not put ice or ice water on the burn 
• do not peel off clothing that is stuck to the burn
• do not pop or break any blisters
• do not apply lotions, oils, ointments, moisturisers, creams or powders to the burn - this can make the damage worse 
• do not apply sticky plasters or dressings to the burn
• if the burn is large, do not cool it for more than 20 minutes, as tamariki can develop hypothermia quickly 
• do not put pēpi (babies) or tamariki (children) into a cold bath or shower for a full 20 minutes - this could cause hypothermia
• cool the burn, not the child
• do not use COLD water - use COOL water (don’t use ice-cold water)

Common causes of burns

Common causes of burns and scalds in tamariki include:

• hot drinks
• hot water
• hot cooking oils
• heaters and heating appliances, radiators and pipes 
• hot tap water 
• hot household appliances (such as hair straightening irons)

Burns to the mouth or throat

If your child has burns in their mouth or throat due to inhaling smoke or gas - dial 111 within New Zealand (use the appropriate emergency number in other countries) and ask for urgent medical help.

Breathing in smoke can cause damage to the throat, airway and lungs.

There may be signs of burning around their lips, nose, mouth, eyebrows or eyelashes. A dry cough or hoarse voice is an early sign of airway injury.

An airway injury can be serious and your child needs to see a health professional urgently.

If you think your child has damage to their airway:

• move them to a safe area, preferably outside into fresh air
• position them so they find it easier to breathe - with their head and chest raised
• dial 111 for an ambulance and request urgent medical help

Burn prevention

Most childhood burn injuries happen in the home, especially in the kitchen. You can prevent burns by taking some simple steps at home.

The following steps can help prevent burns: 

• keep kettles out of reach
• take extra care when cooking on the stove
• put tamariki somewhere safe before cooking
• get older tamariki involved in cooking so you can teach them how to cook safely
• avoid heating drinks for pēpi (babies) in the microwave
• keep an eye on young tamariki at bath or shower time
• make sure your water is at a safe temperature
• put hot appliances out of reach
• put safety covers on all electrical outlets
• install smoke alarms
• keep matches and lighters out of the reach of tamariki 
• take extra care with candles
• use protective firescreens

See the KidsHealth page on burns prevention for some more practical tips.