Shriners Children’s Highlights Household Dangers for National Burn Awareness Week

Shriners Children’s sees roughly 3,000 pediatric burn patients every year at its healthcare facilities throughout the country. While the reasons and severity of those injuries vary, the majority often involve scald burns from hot water. As part of National Burn Awareness Week, which happens from February 2 through 8, 2025, the nonprofit healthcare system is working to educate parents and children about some of the most common dangers in the home and other living spaces that can lead to severe burn injuries.

Robert Sheridan, M.D., chief of staff and director of the burn service at Shriners Children’s Boston, has spent decades treating children with burn injuries, and is the past president of the American Burn Association. He said the most common burn accidents he sees often happen in the kitchen or bathroom.

“Many burns happen during routine activities with common household items, and there’s often an element of distraction involved,” said Dr. Sheridan. “For example, a caregiver might need to check their phone while cooking pasta, or might be distracted by a crying toddler while pouring a hot beverage. Most young children have not yet learned that a hot cup of coffee or a pot of boiling spaghetti can hurt them.”

Scalding liquids can cause deep burns almost instantly, and the longer the contact with hot liquid, the deeper the burn will become. A few safety tips Dr. Sheridan encourages parents to remember include turning pot handles toward the back of the stove, so children can’t reach them, pulling up electrical cords for items like curling irons or electric fryers, so children can’t pull them down, and avoiding holding your child while you’re performing tasks like draining hot water or pouring a cup of coffee. He said parents also need to watch their children carefully when handling food and drink items such as microwave macaroni and cheese, noodles, hot chocolate or spaghetti sauce.

“Children are curious, and while we can’t control everything they do, caregivers can try to control the environment as much as possible,” said Dr. Sheridan. “Educate children and other caregivers about potential dangers in the kitchen.”

Dr. Sheridan also said that around this time of year, space heaters and glass fireplaces can be a source of burn injuries, so parental supervision around those items is always essential. He added that if your child does experience a burn, don’t wait to seek out care.

“If your child does experience a serious burn, the sooner we can see them, the better chance we have to get the best outcome,” said Dr. Sheridan. “This is what our team does every day, and we take pride in the care and support we provide for the entire family. The recovery process from burn injuries can sometimes be significant, but we’re here to help every step of the way.”

Shriners Children’s suggests parents do the following to help avoid burn accidents:

• Turn pot handles inward toward the back of the stove to prevent touching
• Create a 3-foot safety zone around hot surfaces such as a stove, and keep children outside the zone
• Don’t let young children play in the kitchen while someone is cooking
• Never handle a hot item while holding a child
• Keep hot liquids in spill-proof containers
• Always run cold water in the tub first, then add warmer water
• Check the temperature of bath water before putting a child in the bathtub
• When placing a child in the bath, face them away from faucets and at the opposite end of the tub

Shriners Children’s has three locations providing burn care that are accredited by the American Burn Association and the American College of Surgeons as verified pediatric burn centers. Learn more about Shriners Children’s burn care.