Safe guidelines for dealing with burns in children

Unlike adults, children are very susceptible to injury. For example, falling, causing open wounds or being exposed to hot objects so that the skin burns. So that burns in children do not cause prolonged stinging, you must be alert to provide first aid. How to? Check out the following guide.

Guide to dealing with burns in children

Burns cause a burning sensation on the skin. This can make the child cranky or lie down because he can't move freely. Therefore, all burns must be treated quickly to reduce the temperature of the burned area and reduce damage to the skin and underlying tissue (if the burn is severe). When you encounter this situation, pay attention to the following steps.

1. Understand the cause and severity

Burns in children can occur for many reasons. Starting from hot water spills, direct contact with hot objects or chipped electrical cables, sunburn or chemical exposure. After knowing the cause, immediately remove objects that cause burns from the child's body.

Well, before determining the next step, pay attention to how bad the wound is on your little one's skin. There are 3 categories of levels that you need to understand, namely:

First degree burns

The sores occur on the outermost layer of the skin, causing redness and swelling or the skin to become dry but not blistered. The two of them must have caused pain. These wounds heal in 3 to 6 days.

Second degree burns

The wound is more serious because it has hit the layer of skin underneath it. The burns in this child caused the skin to be blistered, reddish, and very painful. The blister will burst within a few days causing the wound to open. To fully heal, this wound usually takes 3 weeks or more.

Third degree burns

The most serious of these sores involves all layers and tissue of the skin underneath. These burns cause the skin to become dry, white, or charred. The burned area may feel sore or numb at first due to nerve damage. The healing time takes a very long time.

For second degree burns where the area is quite small, you can treat it yourself. However, if the burn is large enough, it is recommended that additional care from a doctor is recommended. Meanwhile, for burns in third degree children, you must immediately take the child to the nearest hospital for first aid.

2. Perform first aid

After removing the child from sources that cause sunburn, get first aid immediately, including:

• Wet the skin of the child with running water. This is usually done to cool the skin as well as to clean burn-causing chemicals that have stuck to the skin.
• Compress the burned skin area with plain water (neither cold nor hot) for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Apply a burn medication that you can buy at the pharmacy.
• Give ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain relief if necessary.
• Cover the wound with a clean bandage or cloth for 24 hours to keep the wound clean.

3. Continue with healing treatments

The process of healing burns in children takes time. In order to recover faster, you can apply follow-up treatments, including:

• Prepare high-protein foods for children. Protein can build body cells that are damaged, thereby accelerating the healing of burns. You can insert milk, meat, eggs, yogurt, cheese and nuts.
• Always apply regular burn medication until the wound dries up. Then, continue by applying moisturizer at least 4 times a day so that the skin does not itch, remains smooth, and returns to its elasticity.
• Make sure the bandage covering the wound is not wet, so you don't need to change it frequently.
• Temporarily wear clothes that do not cause additional injury to the burned skin area.