Can anyone help? Toddler scald injury...

[AbsolutelyDistraught]

Just wondering if anyone has had similar experiences that will put my mind at rest. We were at a family member's house over the weekend and a cup of tea was left unattended (so so stupid of her, but that's a whole other topic!) My DS (22 months) upset it and now has deep partial thickness burns to his entire right arm (est. 6% of his body surface area).

We're being seen by a consultant at Chelsea & Westminster, who is recommending we wait a few more days, to determine the best course of action - skin grafts are inevitable but some small areas may heal spontaneously.

The consultant didn't mention it but I've also read about a treatment called Recell (spray on skin) that has worked in similar cases - I'll ask about this at our next appointment.

I don't know what I need really. I'm still replaying the incident in my head over and over, wishing it could have turned out differently, and thinking how this should never have happened to my son. But if there's anyone else that has been through this and come out the other end sane and well, that would be such a comfort right now. I don't really have anyone to talk to - my DH is similarly in pieces about it, and I don't want to be constantly bringing him down.

My son's actually quite happy other than when the dressings are changed, and when he sees us crying, so I'm trying to be strong for him but it's so so hard. But how I feel is completely secondary to the burn itself. I desperately want for it to be better - to minimise the pain and long-term scarring. Any advice?

(Sorry, that turned out longer than I hoped - thanks for reading).

[BelinaTheChicken]

I had just come on Mumsnet to start a similar thread, I am currently in Salisbury burns unit with DS2 who pulled a mug of coffee off the kitchen counter onto himself, we had just moved house and didn't realise he could open the kitchen door. He has burns to his face, chest and arm, partial thickness but not too deep, so not going to need skin grafts.

Not really got any useful advice for you as we are in the same position, though still stuck in the burns unit as our local hospital doesn't have one and we had to be flown here. So would also like to hear from others who have been in this situation

As for replaying it, I am the same, feel sick just thinking about it. DS2 is the same in that it is only dressing changes that bother him, and also cleaning his face and applying liquid paraffin, which we have to do 3 times a day

[AbsolutelyDistraught]

Ah thanks Belina, that's a relief that his weren't too deep. Hopefully his burns won't leave scars at all then, if his injuries are superficial. When did it happen?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

no advice, but a couple of years ago I was having to go up to the chelsea and westminister every couple of days with a burn. There was a young kid there on the same sort of schedule as me and he healed far quicker. The day he went home without his hand bandaged up was fab :) It was clear they looked after him really well too and kept him comfy. Obviously I dont know his exact injuries but I hope that provides a bit of reassurance.
Best wishes for both your children.

[Dahlen]

My DD was scalded when she was 5 months. It affected her neck, chest and left arm. We were told skin grafts would probably be necessary and scarring inevitable. Like you, we had to wait for a few days to see.

It turned out that skin grafts weren't needed and there are no scars at all. In fact, within a month the healing was incredible. Within a couple of months there were just red marks, much like when a scab has been picked off a bit prematurely. A year later, they had disappeared completely.

Children can heal incredibly well, beyond all expectation, but the staff wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't prepare you for the worst-case scenario. Your DS may still need grafts, of course, but try to hang on to hope. Scarring may be minimal and on his arm it is something he can deal with. I hope this doesn't sound flippant, because it's meant to be supportive, not minimising your distress, but he can make up all sorts of glamorous and exciting stories to explain that away as he gets older, much to the envy of all his friends. Little boys (and men) love scars.

But I can empathise completely. You replay things over in your head and the guilt is horrendous. In my case, it was actually a friend's fault, but I still beat myself up about whether I should have told her not to take her drink into the living room, etc., and she of course feels even worse. However, what's done is done and you can't change the past. The best thing you can do for your DS is downplay it and just treat the recovery process as matter-of-factly (is that even a real phrase?) as possible, as much a part of his routine as brushing his teeth. He will take it in his stride much better than you I expect.

Hope you feel better soon and your DS has a speedy recovery.

[BelinaTheChicken]

Friday morning, they don't think his face will scar, though arm and chest might a little, as they were deeper. And like Dahlen said, scars on his arm won't be as bad, bu seeing his face once the burn had come out was awful, looked like something out of a horror film. Looking better now, but still can't believe it's happened

When did yours happen?

[chipmonkey]

Ds4 pulled a cup of tea over himself when he was around 18 months.
It was newly made and peppermint tea so didn't even have milk in.
Dh and I held him under the cold shower head and sprayed his face. We rushed him to our nearest children's hospital. They treated it with dressings and gel.
His face was like a pizza for a while and we really thought he would have scarring.
He has no visible scarring at all. There is a pic of him on my profile, he's the little guy in the dinosaur suit.

[chipmonkey]

Actually just realised his graduation pic is also on my profile, better picture and more recent.

[AbsolutelyDistraught]

Ah thanks all. That's such a relief, just knowing that other people have been through it. Especially with babies / children. I really hope that they're preparing us for the worst, and it'll all work out fine, I really do. But I imagine its unlikely.

Just seeing the burns when the dressings are changed is horrendous in itself, I can clearly see the deeper (white) areas make up most of the arm. So if grafts aren't needed I'd be very surprised. Which is why until we know for sure I'm keen to hear about this Recell treatment - has anyone come across it?

[DoverBeach]

I am so sorry to hear of your ds's scalding. I know what you mean about replaying it in your head. I can hardly bear to think about it even 18 months after the event. My dd was also scalded by hot tea, it had just been made with boiling water and there was no milk in it. Her injury looked absolutely awful at first but she was treated with Biobrane dressing and it was amazing. She healed extremely quickly and has no scarring.

[AbsolutelyDistraught]

Belina, ours was Saturday - interesting that they have you applying paraffin already, does that mean he didn't even need dressings on his face? That's a really good sign!

[AbsolutelyDistraught]

Chipmonkey, I can't see your profile for some reason but that is so nice to hear. And well done your DS!

[BelinaTheChicken]

They didn't dress his face as there was absolutely zero chance of anything staying on, he is 16 months and would have pulled it off straight away. They told me here that they very rarely dress facial burns. But thankfully the ones on his face aren't too deep. His chest and arm are dressed, and there are two patches on his chest and one on his are that are white. They changed them to silver dressings today, hopefully when they are changed in Friday we will be discharged. Going stir crazy in the hospital, and missing DS1 so much (and DH, but at least I can speak to him properly on the phone)

[AbsolutelyDistraught]

DoverBeach, where was your DD treated? I don't know the exact details of all the dressings that have been used for my DS, but might ask about Biobrane. Can I ask what degree of injury she had?

[wigglesrock]

My dd2 upended a full mug of tea on her upper body from the top of her chest to her belly button when she was 17 months old - it was my freshly made tea. She was treated immediately in our local A&E which has a fab burns unit.

We were waiting and seeing as well, but apart from having her dressings changed, paraffin applied, she didnot require any further treatments. She also healed really quickly with no scarring after about 4 months. Hope all goes well.

[Imnotaslimjim]

MY DS also pulled a cup of freshly brewed tea over him at 20 months. He was stood directly next to the sink, so I just dropped him in it and turned on the cold tap! The 15 minutes I stood there with him while he screamed were the longest of my life. I didn't know how bad it was, just that he'd been scalded

He had 5% partial thickness, but not deep. It got his arm, torso and leg, and a couple of little splashes on his face

The hospital we took him to were fantastic. We weren't local, as we were helping clear a late family members house. They smothered him in some cream (no idea what I was in shock by then) then wrapped him like a mummy.

It took 6 months to heal completely, but 4 years on you can't even tell it happened. Its amazing how a childs body can heal itself!

I will say a prayer for your son if thats ok, and ask that his scalds aren't as bad as first thought and it all comes good

[AbsolutelyDistraught]

Gosh wiggles, that's reassuring (although I know I should still keep the worst case outcome in mind). How would you describe the extent of her injuries originally?

[AbsolutelyDistraught]

Imnotaslimjim, thanks so much for your thoughts, that would honestly mean so much. I'm so pleased your DS has come through the worst of it - and agreed that the minutes after the injury are the worst.

My son has dark skin and the image of it all melting away from his arm is what I keep reliving. I just hope at this age that he won't remember any of it, even if there are some minor cosmetic reminders...

[wigglesrock]

The whole of the middle of her chest down to the top of her nappy was completely covered in the tea. I immediately took her upstairs and ran her under a cold tap while I ran the shower for 10 mins and just stood with her in it. She had partial thickness burns, at the time we thought about 5% - it looked dreadful. Even now when I think about it I could cry - she's now 5

She was also wrapped in cream and clingfilm with an orange type substance applied underneath by the hospital. We were initially treated in A&E, then a specialist came down (we're in Belfast and unfortunately burns are one thing the Childrens Hospital have so much experience in) She did blister a little but when we went back to our local GP a few days later to get the bandages changed they felt they probably wouldn't be much if any scarring and there wasn't.

[AbsolutelyDistraught]

Thanks wiggles. But that just makes me think that I don't really understand, (and I know I shouldn't dwell on it), but why my son's injuries were so much worse than other people's in similar circumstances.

It could be that I didn't get him under cold water fast enough (it was a matter of seconds), or what he was wearing (M&S wool/acrylic mix jumper) or that I shouldn't have taken his jumper off.

I know that's what's done is done but I can't help going over it again and again. And you probably don't want to either, if its still upsetting you years later! I just wish with all my heart that it had never happened.

[wigglesrock]

AbsolutelyDistraught I'm not sure why my daughters' scarring wasn't as severe as we had initially thought - she was only wearing a vest and nappy.

I know that horrible, horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach where you would do anything to have done something differently, but please please believe me you did everything you needed to.

I hope your son makes a full and speedy recovery and I'm sending you a big hug/supportive shoulder punch Take care, I would tell you not to worry - but who am I kidding xxxx

[AbsolutelyDistraught]

DoverBeach, it looks like Biobrane can only be used on superficial partial thickness burns - is that what your DD had? That might the reason why they haven't suggested it for us, as his injuries are mostly deeper.

This is what I've spent the last few days doing - endlessly reading through medical research at silly o' clock. I don't want to second guess the treatment we're getting - I have no doubt that we're being seen by experts in this field - but I would feel so much better if I was able to discuss the plan and the alternatives with someone. I don't imagine there's any value in bring treated privately, as we're already under the care of the consultant I'd want anyway (who I reeeally don't want to piss off with all my questions!)

[DoverBeach]

I think bio brane is only suitable for some burns and scalds and it is applied under General anaesthetic to young children. I know things can seem pretty awful at first but there are lots of hopeful stories on this thread. sending you my best wishes.

[BranchingOut]

Thinking of you x

[AbsolutelyDistraught]

Thanks so much BranchingOut, that means a lot.

[A1983]

My DD was scolded by boiling hot water in a flask placed on her pram yesterday by a close family member. I'm distraught and don't want to talk to this person anymore. She is 5 months old and ive just got home from Bristol burns unit. Can I join you on here please-i think we both need support. My DD seems her usual self but im just so devastated for her, poor baby. She was placed under a cold running tap for 20 minutes then taken to hospital. This morning she had a bio-brane dressing put on her leg under GA and the Consultants say she has complete partial thickness burn (4% mid-deep burn). It's a waiting game to see if it heals by itself in the next 10-14 days-the outer area they believe will do but they say it's 50:50 for the middle area which is quite deep and may need a skin graft. I'm hoping and praying the burn will heal completely....and obviously ideally for her no scarring or discoloration of skin. It's such a large burn on a little leg. She is to eat a protein rich diet to aid healing so her breast milk and ill blend some fish, cheese, beans etc for her.. ive included a picture below.

I'm in shock atm and just want answers now..but unfortunately we all have to wait. She has an appointment on Saturday to see if the bio-brane is still sticking, and will have her dressings changed every 2 days.



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