A mum from Fife has told how her toddler, 22 month-old Quinn was scalded at home when he accidentally pulled a mug of hot tea onto himself from a kitchen worktop.
Jackie was terrified when her son's sore pink skin began to peel off and he shrieked in pain. She was out of the room and a visiting friend had only turned her back for a second to get milk from the fridge when he knocked the cup off the side.
The panicked parent instantly removed the wet clothing and put his injured arm under the tap to cool it with tepid water before rushing him to a local hospital in Kirkcaldy.
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Due to the age of the youngster and extent of the burn Quinn was rushed to the Sick Kids in Edinburgh, where he endured months of painful dressing changes and treatment to heal the burn.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live Jackie said: "In March 2021, Quinn was in the kitchen with a family friend whilst she was making a cup of tea. I was in a different room and all I heard next was the most awful screaming from Quinn.
"Our family friend had turned her back for just a few seconds to get milk from the fridge and Quinn had reached up to the worktop, grabbed hold of the cup of tea (hot water and a tea bag) and had pulled the cup and its contents onto himself.
"The hot water had made contact with Quinn’s right shoulder and upper arm. I immediately ran into the kitchen and removed his vest.
"Fortunately, the vest had an envelope-style neck so I quickly pulled it down to his waist. I could see that he had been badly burnt – the top layers of his skin were peeling off and blistering and the whole area was bright pink."
She continued: "I initially ran tepid water from the kitchen sink tap and held Quinn’s shoulder and arm under the running water to cool the burn.
"Quinn was becoming too cold and was extremely distressed so I got some cling film, placed it over the burnt area to protect it and soaked more clean tea towels in tepid water while we dialled 999.
"He was taken to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy by ambulance where his arm was dressed in A&E. We were sent home, with instructions to get the burn re-dressed by the practice nurse at our own GP the following day.
"Thankfully, when we told our GP practice about the extent of his burn and Quinn’s age, they insisted on referring us to paediatric A&E at the Royal Hospital for Children & Young People in Edinburgh."
Reflecting on the scary accident Jackie said: "Looking back, that was the right decision for Quinn although it felt frustrating at the time.
"He had been uncomfortable and obviously in a lot of pain and when the dressing was removed in A&E, his burn had become infected.
"Thankfully, the infection responded well to antibiotics. Quinn then had a second infection a few months later, where the new skin had started to break down. We noticed a slight rash on his arm and torso and he spiked a temperature.
"We returned to the children’s A&E department where he was treated successfully with antibiotics."
Despite the gruelling treatment and nasty injury the youngster suffered, he has now recovered and returned to his usual self.
She said: "After many appointments and visits for dressing changes, Quinn’s arm has now healed well, although he will always have scarring.
"I’d say to all families, never assume that your child is too small to reach the worktop – you don’t want to find out the hard way. Push hot drinks to the back of the worktop and keep them out of reach, well away from little hands.
"Learn about first aid around the home and what to do in case of a burn or scald and always seek help from a specialist children’s hospital if the burn is significant.
"Quinn has now turned 3 and is enjoying nursery. He loves playing with cars and with his toy tractor, stories and dinosaurs. Thank you to Jackie and the family for sharing Quinn’s experience. "
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The NHS advises if your child has a burn or scald, follow this simple ‘STOP’ first aid advice: strip clothes, jewellery or nappies off (unless they are stuck to the skin).
Turn on a cold tap or shower and run the burn under cool water for 20 minutes whilst keeping the child warm. Do not use ice.
Organise medical assistance – attend A and E or dial 999 if the burns is serious. Protect the burn with cling film, provide painkillers and keep the child warm.
You can find out more about how you can prevent burns from happening at home here.
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