Treating Burns

Doctors categorize burns from hot water, fire, electrical contact, chemicals, and the sun-according to their severity first degree, second degree, and third degree First degree burns are the least serious, causing redness and sometimes swelling

Doctors categorize burns from hot water, fire, electrical contact, chemicals, and the sun-according to their severity: first degree, second degree, and third degree. First degree burns are the least serious, causing redness and sometimes swelling. Second degree burns also produce blistering. Third degree burns may look white or charred and can cause serious injury to deep layers of the skin or muscle. Third-degree burns and extensive burns require emergency medical treatment.

You can usually treat superficial burns at home. But if a burn goes through all layers of the skin or blisters, or if redness and pain continue for more than a few hours, take your child to the doctor. Always see the doctor if your child has:

? An electrical burn
? A burn on the hands, feet, face, or genitals, or over a joint
? A burn larger than the palm of the child''s hand
? A charred, deep white burn (signs of a third-degree burn)
? A burn near the eyes
? A burn with more than 10 blisters or an open blister
? Multiple burns or burns covering large areas of the body

You need to act quickly when your child is burned to minimize pain, discomfort, and possible complications. Follow these general guidelines for treating burns:

? If the burn that is on the child is on an arm or leg, place the affected area under cold water immediately and hold it there for several minutes. Apply cold, wet cloths to burns on other areas of the body for several minutes. Don''t apply ice to a burn; it can cause more damage.

? Remove clothing from around the burned area.

? If the burn is not oozing, cover it with a sterile gauze pad.

? Never use butter, grease, petroleum jelly, or other oily substances on a burn because they can trap heat in the skin and worsen the burn. Do not use first-aid creams or sprays that contain benzocaine because they can cause an allergic rash.

? If the burn is oozing, leave it open or cover it lightly with sterile gauze and take your child to the doctor''s office immediately.

? Watch for redness, swelling, a bad odor, or discharge, which can signal infection. Infection needs to be treated by a doctor.

? If the burn is painful, give your child a pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen (never aspirin) and carefully apply cold, wet cloths to the site of the burn.

Sunburn is one of the easiest injuries to prevent. A bad sunburn during childhood can increase a person''s risk of malignant melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer, later in life. Frequent overexposure to the sun also predisposes a child to less serious forms of skin cancer. Sun exposure is especially dangerous for children with fair skin. You can reduce your child''s future risk of skin cancer by limiting exposure to the sun, using sunscreen after 6 months of age, and dressing the child in clothing that covers the arms and legs. Include a hat to protect the head.

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