Here’s another reason why hiring a babysitter is no joke, and must be undertaken with utmost care and consideration. In Mesa, Arizona, a babysitter intentionally poured boiling onto the arms of the boy in an attempt to clean him.
Court documents said that the three-month-old boy was taken to a burn unit in Maricopa County with burns to his right hand and forearm.
So severe were his injuries that he required surgery.
READ: Daughter sees 94-year-old mother abused by her caregiver in a CCTV footage
The baby sitter, identified as Marlene Morton, sent the baby’s mother a Facebook message saying that his son was having an allergic reaction. She sent it along with a photo of the boy’s arm.
It did not look like an allergic reaction, the baby’s mother said, and more like burns. She immediately left work and drove her son to the hospital.
When the police questioned Morton about the incident, she gave them three contradictory answers.
First was that he was burned by his bottle, then it was hot coffee that was accidentally spilled on him. Finally, police say, she told them she put the boy’s hand under a hot water dispenser to clean it.
She held his hands under the 67-degree water for about 10 seconds, and when his hand turned very red, she put lotion and a sock over it.
Morton has been charged with one count of child abuse, and as a result her children had been taken away from her.
She told reporters that she was sorry and felt bad about what happened. She said she didn’t realize the water was that hot, and that she would never intentionally hurt a child.
The right babysitter
Here’s a quick guide on how you can find the right babysitter:
- Seek referrals
- Know what/who you are looking for
- Solicit resumes from candidates
- Interview all candidates you consider hiring
- Check references and run background checks
If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below.