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Mum’s horror as toddler lets out ‘ear-piercing’ scream after ‘freaky’ hazard in trendy kitchen causes agonising burns
Plus, the exact steps to take if your child suffers a burn
A MUM was left horrified after a trendy kitchen feature left her toddler with agonising, blistering burns.
Romain Woolhouse was left screaming in pain when he burned the sole of his foot on the kitchen floor, after the "trendy" slate tile baked in the sunny weather.
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The toddler was having his nappy changed at his gran's house on June 26 when he squirmed free and made a dash for the kitchen to race into the garden.
But the "wriggly" 16-month-old tot couldn't get out as the patio door was closed, so he stood on the sun-drenched floor for a few seconds.
Romaine then let out an ear-piercing scream, prompting his gran to race into the kitchen and scoop him up.
Initially thinking he'd trodden on something, his concerned gran checked his right foot only to discover a huge blister bubbling up on the sole and one of his toes.
Read more on burns
After running the burn under cold water, she raced Romain to hospital - ringing his mum Melanie Kay, 39, to let her know what had happened.
Now, Melanie is urging people to be mindful of the "freaky" hazard, after being told there's been a surge in these injuries due to more people opting for "on-trend" ceramic and high-gloss flooring.
'INSTANT' BLISTERING
Melanie, from Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire, said: "My mother-in-law was looking after him for the day, she's absolutely devastated about it
"I would never have thought about indoor floor tiles. It's so freaky, you couldn't predict it.
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"He'd been playing in the garden with his shoes and socks on as she's aware of the outdoor flooring being very hot.
"Then she brought him into the house and she changed his nappy in the living room.
Mum's horror at hearing 'there's a child on fire' - only to discover her son 'engulfed in flames melting his face'
"He's so wriggly and managed to escape from her, ran down the hallway and run barefoot into the kitchen.
"There's a little area where the sun glares into the kitchen onto the black tiles and as soon as he's got to that spot where they're really hot he's screamed straight away.
"It was super, super hot. Children and animals don't have the reflexes to jump off. In the sun, flooring can get up to 80-degree Celsius.
"She scooped him up straight away and the blister was instant, it's a two-inch by two-inch blister and a toe blister as well."
RISE IN 'FREAKY' ACCIDENTS
Romain was driven to Hull Royal Infirmary in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, where doctors checked him over.
There he had the blister popped, scraped and dressed and the tot, who is limping on his right foot, is due for a check-up in the next few days.
Mum-of-one Melanie said: "They popped and they had to scrape the blister off, which was awful, due to the location.
You wouldn't think of something like this happening because you have a false sense of security in your own home
Melanie Kay
"They then put a little pad on with antiseptic and wrapped it in a bandage.
"The staff said there's been a rise in this happening because people are getting more on-trend kitchen flooring, which is slate and high-gloss.
"[They also mentioned] bi-folding doors [and that] they're seeing a lot more of this happening with adults as well, because you open the door out and the sun glares into the room.
"They were really, really understanding."
'FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY'
Now Melanie, who's engaged to 28-year-old construction site manager Nathan Woolhouse, is urging parents to be mindful of the potential hazard.
Melanie said: "It's astounding. You wouldn't think of something like this happening because you have a false sense of security in your own home.
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What to do if your child suffers a burn
IF A child suffers burn or scald, you should try to cool the burn as quickly as possible before seeking medical advice.
A burn can be caused by dry heat such as contact with fire, a hot iron, or exposure to the sun.
A scald can be caused by contact with wet heat, like steam or a hot cup of tea.
Here's what you need to do:
- Stop the burning process as soon as possible. This may mean removing the child the area, dousing flames with water, or smothering flames with a blanket. Do not put yourself at risk of getting burnt as well.
- Remove any clothing or jewellery near the burnt area of skin, including babies' nappies, but do not try to remove anything that's stuck to the burnt skin, as this could cause more damage.
- Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes as soon as possible after the injury. Never use ice, iced water, or any creams or greasy substances like butter.
- Keep yourself or the person warm. Use a blanket or layers of clothing, but avoid putting them on the injured area. Keeping warm will prevent hypothermia, where a person's body temperature drops below 35C (95F). This is a risk if you're cooling a large burnt area, particularly in young children and elderly people.
- Cover the burn with cling film. Lay the cling film over the burn, rather than wrapping it around a limb, as the area needs space to swell. A clean, clear plastic bag can be used for burns on your hand.
- Treat the pain from a burn with paracetamol or ibuprofen. Always check the manufacturer's instructions when using over-the-counter medication. Children under 16 years of age should not be given aspirin.
- Raise the affected area, if possible. This will help to reduce swelling.
Once you've done the above, assess the burn to decide if further medical treatment is necessary.
Go to A&E for:
- Large burns bigger than the size of the affected person's hand
- Deep burns of any size that cause white or charred skin
- Burns on the face, neck, hands, feet, any joints, or genitals
- All chemical and electrical burns
- Any other injuries that need treating
- Any signs of shock – symptoms include cold, clammy skin, sweating, rapid, shallow breathing, and weakness or dizziness
If your child is under the age of 10, take them to hospital.
Source: NHS
"Lots of other people were quite shocked by it as well, they said they would never think about something inside the home being such a hazard. It's quite freaky isn't it?
"My message to parents is just to be really careful of hazards in the hot weather not just outdoors but indoors and to take some steps like covering windows with curtains or blinds."
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