Burns and scalds are both painful and often preventable. They are among the most common serious childhood accidents, with hot drinks and hot bathwater among the most frequent causes in the under-five age group. The correct first aid response is simple, evidence-based, and dramatically better than the common alternatives that parents sometimes use. Understanding both what to do immediately and how to reduce burn risk in the home helps families prevent and manage this common injury effectively.
Healthbooq provides parents with evidence-based first aid guidance and home safety information for the most common childhood accidents.
The Most Common Causes in Young Children
In children under five, the most common causes of burns and scalds are hot drinks (tea, coffee, and other hot beverages), hot water from the bath or shower, hot food, and contact with heated objects such as oven doors, irons, and hair straighteners. A cup of tea or coffee remains hot enough to cause a significant scald for fifteen to twenty minutes after being made — which means a cup left within a toddler's reach is a genuine risk even if it was made a while ago.
Bath scalds typically occur when a child is placed into water that has not been tested for temperature, or when a young child turns on a hot tap. The recommended maximum hot water thermostat setting for homes with young children is 48°C, and the NHS recommends running cold water into the bath before hot, then mixing and testing temperature before bathing a young child.
First Aid: Cool Running Water
The correct first aid for a burn or scald is: cool running water over the affected area for at least twenty minutes. This is the most important intervention and should be started as soon as possible after the injury. Cool (not cold) running water from a tap is ideal. Cooling should begin before removing clothing where possible; remove clothing that is not stuck to the wound.
What not to use: ice, ice water, butter, toothpaste, cream, or any other household substance. Ice and ice water cause vasoconstriction that can worsen the injury. Butter and toothpaste trap heat and create an infection risk. These myths remain widespread and are specifically contraindicated.
Do not burst blisters that form — they protect the healing skin beneath.
When to Seek Medical Help
All burns in babies under one year should be seen by a doctor. Burns affecting the face, hands, feet, genitals, or joints should be assessed. Burns that are larger than roughly the size of the child's palm should be assessed. Burns that are full thickness (the skin appears white, waxy, leathery, or painless — indicating deeper damage) require urgent medical attention. Burns caused by electricity or chemicals always require medical assessment.
After twenty minutes of cooling, if a burn is being taken to A&E, cover loosely with cling film (not wound around the limb) or a clean, non-fluffy cloth. Do not use adhesive dressings directly on the burn.
Prevention
Simple measures that substantially reduce burn risk in the home with young children include: never holding a hot drink while holding or near a young child; using the back hob rings when cooking; using oven-safe pan handle covers; fitting socket covers; keeping irons and hair straighteners inaccessible; setting the hot water thermostat to a maximum of 48°C; and running cold water first when drawing a bath.
Key Takeaways
Burns and scalds are one of the most common causes of serious accidental injury in children under five. Hot drinks — including tea and coffee — remain hot enough to scald for around fifteen to twenty minutes after being made, and are responsible for a significant proportion of childhood burns. The correct first aid response is cool running water for at least twenty minutes, applied as soon as possible after injury. Never use ice, butter, toothpaste, or any other substance. Many childhood burns require medical assessment; burns in certain locations, of certain sizes, or in young babies should always be seen urgently.
