A two-year-old boy from Cambridgeshire suffered severe burns to his arm and chest after grabbing a cup of hot coffee and spilling it on himself. The child's mother, Laura Jakes, shared distressing images of her son Arthur's injuries to warn other parents about the dangers of hot drinks.
Laura explained that the coffee was only 15 minutes old but caused devastating injuries within seconds. She stated, 'It was a fifteen-minute-old cup of coffee. It was pushed way back on the side, so he managed to climb up and grab it. I never thought a cup of coffee could cause such damage as what it has to Arthur.'
Her story comes ahead of a new campaign to raise awareness about treating children with burns. NHS figures reveal that 35,000 children have required specialist care for burns in the last five years, with 30 babies and toddlers going to hospital with a hot drink burn every day. Plastic surgeons from the college and the British Burn Association are warning that children can face years of 'grueling' operations after entirely preventable burns.
Andrew Williams, a consultant plastic surgeon at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, emphasised, 'All it takes is for a small child to pull a kettle cord, or knock a cup of tea over, and they can be scarred for life. Every second counts when it comes to treating a new burn, so it is vital that parents know basic first aid – especially the importance of running scalded skin under cold water.'
Experts advise the '15-20-25' rule: run scalded skin under water at 15°C for 20 minutes to reduce burn depth by up to 25%. They also recommend covering the burn in cling film and seeking urgent medical assistance, and caution against applying lotions or potions. Additional safety advice includes keeping hot drinks out of reach, positioning saucepans at the back of the stove, and never leaving children unattended in the kitchen.
