Every day, 300 young children with burn injuries are taken to
emergency rooms. They were not even near a flame. The children
are victims of scalds. Clearly, this is a real danger. Scald
burns (caused by hot liquids, steam or foods) are the most
common burn injury among children age 4 and younger. In 2003,
U.S. hospitals treated an estimated 16,000 children under 5 for
scalds, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
And, mortality rates from scalds are highest for children under
age 4. While the injuries and the numbers are distressing, even
more disturbing is the fact that many of these burns could have
been prevented. Roanoke Fire-EMS, Shriners Hospitals for
Children® and Shriners International are addressing scald
injuries as part of their Burn Awareness campaign. How Scalds
Happen Ninety-five percent of scalds occur in residences. Scald
burns are typically related to ordinary activities – bathing,
cooking and eating – and often happen to children because of a
lapse in adult supervision or a la