A burn can happen in a blink of an eye. And, unfortunately, they’re all too common in kids. In fact, about 120,000 children under age 20 are seen in emergency departments for burns every year in the United States.
A lot of times, it’s because kids are naturally curious and don’t realize something is hot until it’s too late. Burns can range from minor to really serious, so knowing what causes them, how to treat them and how to prevent them is important.
Common Causes of Burns in Kids
Hot Liquids (Scald Burns)
This is a big one, especially with younger kids. They see a grown-up drinking coffee, tea or soup, and they want to check it out. Next thing you know, a spill, burn and pain. Even a too-hot bath can cause a burn. Bath water for a child should be around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (you can set thermostat on your hot water heater below 120 degrees as a precaution). Always be sure to test the water with your arm before your kids gets in.
These burns can happen anywhere on the body (hands, face, arms, legs, trunk) and can range from mild to severe. Less severe burns that only cause redness and mild discomfort can be cared for at home with some simple first-aid. First, run a towel under room temperature water and apply to the burn — do not apply ice. Give Ibuprofen or Tylenol for discomfort and gently clean the burned area with soap and water. For more severe burns that cause pain and/or blistering, you should take your child to urgent care or the emergency department.
No matter what, they need to be cleaned properly and covered. If the burn is on the hands or feet, sometimes a cast is needed to help it heal right.
Hot Surfaces
It’s not news that young kids touch everything. From stove tops, to irons, fireplace screens and even the hot metal patio furniture on a sunny day. These burns are most often on the hands, and when that happens, we worry about function. Serious burns usually need a surgeon and therapy to make sure the child heals well and can still use their hand properly.
Hot Items
These burns can happen to any age group, and they can be deeper than they look. We see them from things like:
- Melted wax (arts, crafts and candle-making)
- Candy-making accidents
- Mufflers from bikes and ATVs
- Science experiments gone wrong
While these burns can be anywhere on the body, they sometimes surprise us with how deep they go.
Fireworks
Kids and adults love fireworks, it’s one of the great joys of summer. But home fireworks are very dangerous. The statistics from the Consumer Protection Safety Commission are alarming:
- Every year, more than 3,000 children under age 15 go to emergency rooms with firework injuries.
- In 2024, 11 people died from fireworks related injuries.
- In 2024, 14,700 people were treated in hospital emergency departments with firework injuries. 1,700 of those injuries were caused by sparklers.
- About 37% of injuries treated in emergency departments were burns. Injuries to the hands and fingers made up about 36 percent while the head, face and ears were 22 percent.
It’s not just the big, exploding fireworks that pose a danger. Sparklers are one of the leading causes of firework injuries in kids under 5. Sparklers burn at more than 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit — hot enough to melt glass — making it easy for them to cause severe burns. They can ignite clothing, and the sparkler wire stays hot long after the flame is out.
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Burn Prevention Tips
A few simple changes can prevent a lot of burns:
- Use the back burners when cooking and keep pot handles turned inward.
- Put barriers around fireplaces and hot surfaces.
- Try not to hold kids while drinking hot liquids — spills happen.
- Keep kids out of the kitchen while cooking (a lot of burns happen when someone turns and trips over a child).
- Always supervise science experiments, and if possible, test them out beforehand so there are no surprises.
- Glow sticks are a fun and safe alternative to sparklers, especially for young children.
Frostbite — A Cold Burn
When the weather dips, be ready to bundle those kids up. Frostbite is basically a burn from extreme cold. And just like hot burns, prevention is key:
- Dress in layers and cover up exposed skin.
- Limit time outside in freezing temps.
- Warm up cars before driving when possible.
- Bring extra layers in case clothes get wet.
If frostbite happens:
- Warm up ASAP! Use warm (not hot) water or blankets warmed in the dryer.
- Don’t use a heating pad or super-hot water because that can cause more damage.
- Keep it warm. Once it’s thawed, don’t let it freeze again.
Urgent Care vs. Emergency Department
Whether you take your child to an urgent care of emergency department (ED) depends on the location and severity of the burn.
For burns that are limited to a small area of skin or aren’t too deep (no blistering), urgent care can probably treat them.
If the burns occurred on your child’s hands, face, genital area or around the elbow, wrist or other joint, you should take them directly to the ED. Likewise, go to the ED if the burn is causing blisters, covers a large area of the body or if it was caused by fire. Urgent cares are convenient and can start the process, but they’re not set up for possible sedation or the kind of evaluation these burns usually need. So, most cases will get transferred to the ED anyway for additional care.
Call 911 if your child is in extreme pain, having difficulty breathing, or if the burn was caused by electrocution, chemicals or inhalation.
Remember, kids are going to be curious and burns are going to happen. But with the right precautions, we can prevent a lot of them. And when they do happen, knowing what to do and where to go makes all the difference.
