Preventing childhood accidents

Previously the Chelsea Children’s Hospital Charity, we re-launched as The Children’s Surgery Foundation in 2019 to reflect the national scope of our work today. The story below is from our days as the Chelsea Children’s Hospital Charity.

Today is the start of Child Safety Week. The aim is to raise awareness of the risks of childhood accidents and how they can be prevented. As our Children's Burns Unit knows only too well, the main cause of scalds for under fives are hot drinks. Did you know that your hot drink can scald a baby 15 minutes after it’s been made?

Little Halle Spring (pictured above), age 19 months, was treated in our Children's Burns Unit recently. She needed a skin graft after pulling a cup of tea onto herself.

To help prevent burns and scalds from hot drinks, make sure you put it down well out of reach – don’t rely on young children understanding not to touch - and always put your baby down safely before you pick up your hot drink.