To warn about the dangers of radiators and hot water bottles.

[GeekLove]

Children's skin is very sensitive to heat but it is warm rather than obviously hot objects that have their own hazard. Human skin will start to burn if in prolonged contact with objects more than 43c. This does not feel hot, more somewhat warm. Hence the danger in that should a child be in contact with such a surface when sleeping they might not move from the hear source.

My ds2 has a rather nasty 2nd degree burn on his leg as a result of the furry cover on his waterbottle slipping off in bed. Radius present a similar hazard unless covered with something to dissipate the heat and not go above the critical temperature. This is relevant conspiring radiator heat up gradually enough that a child might not know they are in danger.

Heat pads are also something to be wary of. I fell asleep with one on during Aunt Flo and woke up to blisters.

so sorry to hear about your ds. Good for you to post this reminder and wishing him a speedy recovery.

Can I also add the dangers of electric blankets as children and old people can over heat that way to.

I wouldn't give any of my children a hot water bottle personally. A teen yeh but not younger.
Radiator covers are expensive so can't afford them when I have 9!

He's fine, it only hurts when I'm dressing it. But I have warned him that it will hurt and itch more as it heals.
He is 6 BTW.

How did the cover of his bottle slip off though? Aren't they like envelopes? They're really tricky to put on and off I thought!

Poor DS! Did he wake with it burning him?

Oh I am sorry to hear about your little boy. Another one saying yes, a HWB is fine for adults but be wary about using with children I am frightened of them so none in our house .

Fit individual thermostats to rads to keep them low temperature.

My radiator in the boys room is covered and on a low heat. In terms of his hwb I suspect the top came out of the envelope.

I'M not fond of electric blanket - I think they are best for pre warming the bed. They can also be a fire hazard.

I once (aged 17 or so) fell asleep with my leg on a hot water bottle - it might have been uncovered, I was staying at a friend's - and woke up with a blister the size of half a golf ball. It was perfectly painless and remained so until and after it went pop several days later.

I've never trusted electric blankets. Possibly too many 70s public information films.

What a load of typos! Glad you got my warning even with a militant Autocorrect.

I think hot water bottles and children are an accident waiting to happen to be honest.

I hope your DS recovers quickly.

a HWB is fine for adults

Still possible to have an accident!

Last year I fell asleep with the HWB on my stomach. It did have a cover on but clearly the cover was not thick enough to provide adequate protection. I woke up with a blistered stomach. I am in my mid-50s.

Thank you for the warning - definitely something to keep in mind.

I know a girl whose face is scared from having her cot near the radiator so it's true they are very dangerous.

I wouldn't have thought about the HWB but yes they must be fairly dangerous too.

I never use hot water bottles now - I once forgot that I'd put it in the bed and knelt on the bed - only a sheet was over it and it burst. I had a nasty blister on my leg that hurt an awful lot. I've got a nasty scar there now.

We always put some cold water in the bottle first before hot but the rubber can perish. I've noted that neither boy has asked for a bottle since then.

My mum has a big scar on her leg from her hot water bottle leaking a few years ago. I was shocked when she said she hadn't woken up. My DC have little microwave hotties that go in just long enough to make them warm, never hot.

I could not live without our electric blanket anymore. We've had it a year and it's one of the best things we've ever bought!

I thought it was pretty obvious the dangers of giving a child a 'hot water' bottle? Boiling hot water and children don't really mix.

Dissenting voice here. I used hot water bottles a lot as a child (lots of ear infections etc) and never found them dangerous. I think we only filled them from the tap rather than the kettle, and would hold the rubber against the skin for a bit to check the temp then put the cover on. Obviously check for perishing etc if not been used for a while.

My DM banned me from the electric blanket after I fell asleep with it switched on.

I noticed this with my old laptop a few years ago. I would sit with it on my lap and it felt warm rather than hot, but if I was on the computer for too long my thighs would be red and itchy. It never felt uncomfortable while I was using it so I can see how someone could end up with a bad burn and not immediately notice.

Does anyone know if the the microwave heated soft toys for kids are safe? Or do they have the same risk?

Left to myself I would only fill them from the tap but the boys wanted them hotter. Not anymore

I have a huge scar from where a hot water bottle developed a hole in it and leaked all over me. I had been a bit clueless and hadn't realised that the material degrades over time.

I think with hot water bottles caution is needed and replacing them regularly is a good idea.

Sorry to hear about your son, wishing him a speedy recovery.
I used to put them in the bed when kids were young and take them out before bed.
They can burst too and scald, so safety came first in our house.
Electric blankets also need to be turned off before a child goes to sleep.

I’ m a bit wary of microwaveable stuff. I have one of those hot oat sacks, which will feel fine when you get it out of the microwave but too hot within a couple of minutes.
Same idea as recommendation not to heat baby milk in the microwave.

I've heard that microwaveable heat pads can have a habit of heating unevenly such that some zones are hot enough to start smouldering since the heat doesn't dissipate well.