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Parents have been urged not to give children hot water bottles after an “alarming” rise in the number of children with serious burns.
Hot water bottles caused 99 serious burns in England and Wales in the first six months of 2023, a rise of 46 percent compared to 68 in the same period in 2022.
The data excludes minor burns and scalds treated in the emergency department, so the numbers reflect the most serious incidents.
Experts blame the cost of living crisis for the rise in injuries and suggest Brits are using hot water bottles as an alternative to central heating.
A father told parents burn injuries are “for life” after his 12-year-old son suffered life-threatening complications when a hot water bottle burst in his lap.
According to the International Burn Injury Database (iBID), burns among adults and the elderly from hot water bottles increased by about a fifth.
Hot water bottles caused 99 serious burns in England and Wales in the first six months of 2023, a rise of 46 percent compared to 68 in the same period in 2022
Ken Dunn, a retired consultant and plastic surgeon and deputy chairman of the Children’s Burns Trust, which published the figures alongside the British Burn Association, said the rise in hot water bottle burns among children was “alarming”.
He said: “As the colder months of the year approach and the cost of living increases, we are urging families to stop using hot water bottles for children.”
“If you use it at home at all, there are two important pieces of information you should remember for safe use: never fill it with boiling water and always look for the rubber flower symbol on the neck, which indicates the month and year.” The hot water bottle was made .
“Any bottle older than two years should be replaced.”
“By raising awareness of the risk posed by hot water bottles and educating people about the safest way to use them – as well as proper first aid in the event of an injury – we can help reduce the number and the resulting use “To reduce the resulting scars of these devastating injuries.”
One parent, Pete, told how his son Freddie, now 12, suffered burns to his thighs, stomach and hands when a hot water bottle burst open in his lap.
“The impact of a burn injury cannot be underestimated and I want parents to know the damage that hot water can cause – a burn injury is life-long,” he said.
In December 2021, Freddie – then 10 years old – was sitting in the back of the car watching his sister play soccer.
It was a cold morning and he had a hot water bottle with him to keep him warm, partially filled with cold water.
Minutes later the bottle broke. His parents quickly took him home and gave him a cool bath because he couldn’t stand the pain of the shower over his burns.
Freddie was taken to the major trauma center in Southampton and, once stabilised, transferred to the specialist burns service in Salisbury.
Two weeks after the injury, Freddie became ill and had a high fever, and his parents were told his burn injury was life-threatening and he would need skin grafts.
His father said: “It was so difficult watching Freddie go through the necessary treatment; Surgery, bandage changes, a urinary catheter and a feeding tube in his nose to increase his calorie intake.
“I want to highlight the dangers of using hot water bottles and raise awareness of how serious a hot water bottle burn can be.”