Burn Prevention

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

• Don't hold a baby when you are cooking or drinking anything hot. The baby may grab for it and get burned if it spills.
• Keep coffee pots, irons, hot foods, and boiling water away from the edge of the table or stove.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so children can't reach them.
• Never open the oven door with a child nearby.
• Before putting your child into the bathtub, check the water temperature with your wrist.
• Don't let children touch the faucet handles in the bathtub. They may turn on the hot water and get burned. Never leave a baby or young child alone in a tub.
• Lower your hot water heater setting to low or medium (130 degrees F).
• Use a cool mist humidifier instead of a steam vaporizer.
• Put fireplace screens or guards around fireplaces, furnaces, or radiators. Keep space heaters out of your child's reach. Don't leave a child alone around fires of any kind.
• Make sure your child's pajamas are flame-resistant.
• If you smoke, don't leave lit cigarettes unattended. Dispose of them properly. Keep cigarette lighters and matches in a safe place where children can't reach them.
• Install smoke detectors. Check them on a regular basis to make sure they are still working. Teach your children the best way to get out of the house in a fire.
• Lock up liquids that may catch on fire, such as gasoline or kerosene. Leave them in the container that they came in and label them.
• Before putting a child in a car seat, check the temperature of the seat, especially any metal parts. Cover the car seat with a towel when you park in the sun.
• Allow only older children to use fireworks and only with adult supervision.
• Keep children away from electrical cords. Replace frayed cords. Cover unused electrical outlets with childproof covers (available in hardware stores and baby departments).
• Test the temperature of infant food heated in a microwave oven before feeding it to a baby.
• To prevent sunburn, always apply sunscreen to children before going out in the sun.