Every day, children investigate the world through the use of their five senses. While you may first think of this as learning with the eyes and ears, there is another sense that is critical to much of what children discover--the sense of touch.

Stop and reflect for just a minute about all the ways you use touch in daily living, even as adults. You test for heat or cold, identify firmness and flexibility, and explore texture and balance. When things do not go as planned, you sometimes say, “Guess I lost my touch!”

This sense of touch greatly enriches your world, but it is important to remember that it also can place a developing child in harm’s way. Children learn that certain things in the world are hot, and some are cold; but the issue is complicated by the fact that some things, like stoves and water faucets, can be both hot and cold.

As caregivers, you are charged with protecting children from hazardous touching while still encouraging them to go about the work of childhood--playing and learning.

Probably the most common injury from touching involves burns. Contrary to the beliefs of many parents and childcare staff, most burns suffered by children are not from fire, but from common household appliances and substances. Burns are caused by dry heat (fire), wet heat (steam, hot liquids), radiation, friction, heated objects, the sun, electricity, and chemicals.

Thermal burns are the most common type of burn. Thermal burns occur when hot metals, scalding liquids, steam, or flames come in contact with skin. A few simple precautions can prevent thermal burns in the childcare setting.

• Make burners and hot pot handles as hard to reach as possible. Use the back burners when cooking on top of the stove, and turn handles so they point away from where little hands could grab them.
• Similarly, place hot items taken from the oven or off a burner up high and to the back of counter tops.
• Keep the cords of crock pots, fryers, electric skillets/griddles, and toasters high and behind these appliances.
• Do not allow children in the kitchen when items are being removed from the oven or stove. Consider establishing a marked “Child-free Zone” in front of the oven/stove.
• Do not drink or carry hot beverages or food while holding a child.
• Set hot foods out of reach of young hands during meal time, and do not use tablecloths--they can cause hot items to fall if they are pulled.
• Store tempting foods like snacks away from all cooking surfaces.
• Check the temperature of microwaved foods, as microwave ovens typically heat foods unevenly, leaving hot spots that can burn the child. Never microwave bottles or formula for infants.

• Do not iron when children are present, and never leave an iron on an ironing board or allow its cord to dangle. When irons fall, they can cause burns as well as injuries from the force of the iron’s weight.
• If you are a home provider, keep curling irons out of children’s reach.
• Set water heaters at 120°F. More than 4,000 children are scalded by tap water every year. Scalds are the leading cause of accidental death in the home for children from birth to age four. At 130°F, it takes 30 seconds to cause a serious burn; at 140° F, it only takes five seconds!
• When running water, turn on the cold faucet first, before turning the hot one. Never turn on any faucet when the child is in the tub. Never leave a child alone or turn your back to a child at bath time.
• Place heat resistant screens around or in front of electric heaters, space heaters, radiators, and other heat sources so that children will not be able to reach them.
• Carefully supervise children any time you are using an outdoor grill, such as on a field trip.
• Remember that even plastic surfaces can burn young skin when they get hot. Check the surface of a slide, car seat, seatbelt buckle, or swing for overheating by the sun.
• Do not overlook the burn potential of light bulbs and halogen lights. Metal shades on any light are burn hazards. For family providers, table lamps should be securely anchored and have screens around the bulbs to protect exploring hands

Take a minute to look at your center or home care site from a child’s point of view: is it really safe or can a child easily put herself in danger, such as by climbing from the chair to the counter to the stove or from that bookshelf to the table? Remember, young children are in the business of exploring of their world and they do not yet know what can be dangerous.

Chemicals also are a burn risk. Do not spread insecticides, fertilizers, or other chemicals when children are present--chemical burns from agents like these are only one of their multiple hazards.

The correct way to treat any burn depends on several factors, including its depth, size, and cause, as well as which area is affected area and the age and health of the victim. Babies and young children can have a more severe reaction to a burn than an adult because of the potential for serious fluid loss.

Minor burns with unbroken skin should be submerged in or flooded with cool (not ice cold) water for at least five minutes. A clean, cool compress can help reduce pain. After the cooling, cover the site with a dry sterile bandage or clean dressing.

Never apply ointments, creams, medications, butter, ice, oil spray, or any household remedy to treat a burn. Do not disturb blisters or damaged skin. Call 911 if the burn is extensive--larger than your palm--or if you are not sure how serious it is.

Of course, always contact the parent immediately and advise parents to contact their medical providers for guidance. Be on the lookout for infection, a common burn complication. Carefully document the entire situation, from how the incident occurred through any interventions and parent discussions.

Suffering a burn is never a pleasant experience. Teach children about burns; do not let them learn about burns by having one!

Janie Sailors, RN, NCSN, Health Specialist, Training and Technical Assistance Services, Western Kentucky University

Burn Prevention Foundation, 500 Tilghman, Ste. 215, Allentown, PA 18104; 800-207-3090; www.burnprevention.org

SafeKids, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Ste.1000, Washington, DC 20004-1707; 202-662-0600; www.safekids.org

Medline, www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/burns.html

National Fire Protection Association, www.nfpa.org/RiskWatch/topfireburn.html

Preschoolers Today, preschoolerstoday.com/resources/articles/beaware.htm