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Even if your house is babyproofed from floor to ceiling, sometimes accidents happen -- and with curious babies or toddlers around, it's important to be prepared for a potential burn emergency.
Remember that only first-degree burns (ones that cause redness, but no blistering) should be treated at home. Here's how:
* Run cool water over the area for several minutes, which lowers the temperature of the skin. Avoid ice-cold water, which will hurt and can decrease blood flow to the area.
* Apply an aloe vera gel to ease pain and cover the area with a damp gauze pad (these are things you should have in your first-aid kit).
* Don't apply ice, butter, or other popular home remedies, which can actually prevent proper healing.
Call the pediatrician if your child's burn covers a large area, is on the face, hands, feet, or genitals, or if it starts to blister (a sign of a second-degree burn, which affects the outer and underlying layers of skin).
Call 911 if your child has suffered a serious electrical burn, has a blistering burn over a large area, loses consciousness, or has trouble breathing.
Answered by: americanbaby.com
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