DD was scalded by soup on her chest:0(

[forevermore]

I feel awful and really worried how it will heal. We went to urgentcare centre and they cooled with water and dressed it with A Vaseline type dressing. This has to be changed in 3 days and again in 7 days. It happened so quickly she was screaming. Mainly from shock. Feel so bad and worry how this will heal. How long till she can swim or say be out in the sun. Will it be a huge scar for life. They did some physical examination then said it didn't go deep and mainly superficial?? Anyone dealt with burns/scalds before. How best to treat long term. Do they heal quickly. It's red raw and slightly bigger than a 50p but right the middle of her chest. She is 5 by the way.

poor thing. :( hope it gets well soon, without any complications.
dc2 spilt hot boilnig, just microwaved coffee all down his front when he was 13 months old. i was on the other side of the room and saw him doing it. I grabbed him and took him straight into the shower and turned it on cold. he was screaming, at first with pain, then coz mummy was acting like a lunatic and then coz he was soaking wet with water being chucked at him. his nappy was soaked, but i yanked his vest off, and mom got some ice cold water rom the fridge and chucked it at his chest. (in the middle of the desert, so even the cold water tap has warmish water).
he didnt have anything more than a red bit for a day or so. If this every happens again, then that is what i would recommend doing. even if they are crying coz they dont like the cold water, it doesnt matter, tis more important to get the heat off.

I used to work in a children's Burns and plastics unit, and our (adopted) DD had a very large, severe scald injury at 22 months old (she was one of my patients - I seriously took my work home with me...) so I have experience from both a professional and parental point of view. Ask any questions and I will happily try to answer them.

So sorry that you have had this experience - I hope you have both had a more settled day today and feel like you are getting over the shock. Superficial burns do heal very well and relatively quickly, but in the short term are painful and uncomfortable (the deeper the burn the less painful it will be). Your questions about swimming and sun exposure will depend very much on how quickly it heals to intact new skin (for swimming) and the extent of any scarring (which may be minimal or none) - if she does develop a scar it will require protection from the sun, but this will need discussion as healing takes place - try not to worry about it now.

I am nervous to hear they have used a Vaseline type of dressing as I am not certain that these are the best type to use, but are still persistently used in A&E type units. If, when she has this dressing removed it has stuck to the wound and this makes the dressing change different, please do request/insist that they change to a different type of dressing (a hydrocolloid one may be suitable and certainly one that is purposefully non-stick in nature) next time, so that dressing changes do not become too difficult for you all. I may be wrong, and I'm sure all will be well - but forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

Let us know how the next few days/weeks go. Oh and don't feel guilty - these things happen and she will heal - relatively quickly and hopefully with little or no scarring. MPD

Ds burnt his hand when he was 2, his blistered and he needed antibiotics. I was told to slap on factor 50 when he was in the sun for 12 months as the skin would be thinner. I wouldn't take her swimming whilst it's 'wet'. It took a couple of weeks for it to calm down, he had saggy skin on his hand until he went to his granny's for the day and it had all been picked off when he returned. She said he did it

I do hope she's feeling better quickly. Don't blame yourself, things like this happen to so many parents.

(I am also clearly going insane and am ahead of myself on days......I thought I had come to this a day after the accident had happened, hence my 'hope today has been more settled' comment....take this to mean, 'I hope tomorrow is a more settled day, yada yada,' )

Forever that sounds awful and an early night for you?

Bio Oil will be good for any residual scarring after it has healed.

In response to Ladysybil's post above though, if anyone is reading this, please do not pull any clothing off after a burn/scald as if there is substantial damage, ripping clothing off may cause more damage on top of the burn, which happened to a friend's child Best to cool the burn with cold, but not freezing water (freezing cold may cause shock) through clothing until advice can be sought

forevermore - just wondering how things have been today? How are both you and DD? MPD

Oh, you poor thing. Hope you're all feeling better today.

This happened my brother when he was a babe in arms. He doesn't have scarring but he does have to take extra care of that area in the sun - it seems to be more prone to burning.

I tripped with my baby last week and banged his head and we ended up in hospital. Although he's fine now, I am traumatised and keep reliving the moment. I'm walking on eggshells now seeing danger everywhere. It's pretty tough being a mum - I reckon that anyone who hasn't had an accident has had plenty of near misses and lots of good luck.

Thanks for all your messages of support. Today I went to hospital and asked for the dressing to be redone as it was falling off. The wound looked like it was darkening / healing around the edge! But it is very itchy so we gave her piriton before bed. Couldnt think what else to do. I keep re-living the moment and still wracked with guilt. DD had severe eczema as a baby and still has skin treated for it now so especially sensitive to the state of her skin IFSWIM?

She seems to be back to herself otherwise.

miss polly thanks for your insight. what do you suggest I look for when she has to have first check up? The dressing from yesterday was a bit gunky but came off easily it's the big square plaster used to hold it in place that seems to be giving her trouble. The Vaseline thing is called JELONET and they used a SOFTPORE plaster on top?!

Hi forevermore

Just checking in to see how things are for you and DD this week. Have you been back to have the latest dressing changed? If so how has that been? How did the Jelonet dressing do? My concern is that in burns units it is rarely used as it is known to stick to the wound. However, it is still routinely used in Accident/Emergency departments as it claims to be 'low adherent' - experience suggests that (with burn injuries at least) this is not always the case. I really really hope that this has not been your experience and that any dressing changes have so far been OK.

My choice of dressing would be something like 'Duoderm' which is a 'hydrocolloid' dressing (similar to the Compeed blister platers you can buy, though bigger and thinner) or putting a silicone-based layer such as something called 'Mepiform' between the wound and any padded dressing on top. These would definitely not stick but if your unit is not up to speed with burns dressings it can be hard to push for something that isn't their 'first-line' or automatic dressing choice.

Hopefully though, the burn injury is now starting to settle and heal well and may not require a dressing for much longer. I wonder also how you are...? I hope you are feeling less guilty and unsettled by what has happened. MPD

Still using jelonet. Not sticking and changing regularly as she allergic reaction to the tape so now have milder tape which doesn't stick well so dressing keeps falling off. However it it now red and well perfused - good blood supply which is meant to be good? No scabbing yet? Is this ok. I was also given a silver antibiotic cream (flamazine) to dab on when I change dressing. She is ok. I still feel guilty:0(