You see many Facebook posts on a daily basis: musings, recipes, videos and news pieces. You either spend some time reading these or simply scroll through them. Then there’s that group of stories that make you stop dead in your tracks and gasp in disbelief. Parents, this is one of those.
9-month old baby was scalded at the childcare centre.
A 9-month old baby has allegedly suffered second degree burns on his hand and arm while he was under the care of PCF Little Wings at Boon Lay. I cringe at the idea that such an incident can occur at a childcare centre, a place parents leave their young ones with complete faith that they will be nurtured and be well taken care of.
The news first came to our attention when Facebooker Wendy Foo posted pictures of her friend’s baby suffering from second degree burns on his hand. As seen in one of the pictures, the baby’s hand is covered with medical cling film for burns. Another one shows large, serum-filled blisters. One can only imagine the agony this baby had to face…a second degree burn is the most painful type of burn between the first and third degree.
A close-up of the baby’s arm. You can see how blistered and painful-looking his skin is.
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What did the parents say?
Here’s what the baby’s mum Kelly Goh had to say:
What did the school say?
As you can see in Kelly’s Facebook post, the school has not been very responsive so far. At the time of this article, Kelly had not even been able to organize a second meeting with the Centre Manager because she has been “too busy”.
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Read the next page to find out the types of burn injuries and what to do in an emergency.
Types of burn injuries
First degree burn:
The mildest kind of burn.
Only the outer layer of skin has been damaged.
Results in redness, slight swelling and it may look like a sunburn.
Second degree burn:
The second layer of skin has been damaged, resulting in blistering and swelling.
This type of burn is usually very painful.
Third Degree burn:
The most serious of all burns.
The skin appears white or charred. This is a serious injury, sometimes penetrating well below the surface.
Often not painful, but this is because the nerves have been damaged.
Read more on the proper way to deal with burns and scalds.
How to deal with burns and scalds
The most common cause of scald injuries among young children is by hot drinks. Even if the hot drink has cooled for 15 minutes, it will still be able to scald a baby. To reduce the risk:
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Avoid holding your baby and a hot drink at the same time. A wriggling baby may cause you to spill your drink on them.
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Try not to leave hot drinks within easy reach. Babies are likely to grab at cups or mugs and pull the contents over themselves.
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How do I treat a burn or scald injury
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Hold the affected area under cold running water for at least 10 minutes to cool the burn and relieve pain.
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Remove all restrictive clothing from around the burn before any swelling occurs.
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Do not try to remove anything stuck to the burn as this could be extremely painful.
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Use clean cling film to loosely cover the burn and protect it from infection till you are able to get to a doctor. You can also use a clean sheet or pillow case if you do not have cling film at home. Ensure that your child remains warm to prevent the onset of hyperthermia.
The baby’s burn cling-filmed.
DO NOT use lotions, fat or ointment on a burn. And as always, get your child to the doctor as soon as possible if the burn is serious.
We’d love to hear your opinion about this story. Do leave a comment and let us know what you think.
