Mum’s warning after son, 2, left with horrific burns after spilling scalding hot cup of tea over himself
A TODDLER was left with horrific burns after spilling a scalding hot cup of tea over himself.
Two-year-old William was hospitalised and narrowly avoided needing skin grafts - causing mum Claire James to issue a warning to other parents.
The tot knocked the mug over during breakfast at the family home last month.
Claire, 33, said it was her shouting ‘no’ as she saw William grab the handle that caused the hot tea to spill.
She said she went “completely blank with panic and shock” so her husband Edward rushed to help.
He immediately picked William up and put him under cool running water in the kitchen sink.
They then moved him to the shower, called an ambulance and within 10 minutes the youngster was rushed to hospital.
Claire shared details of the “nightmare” on Facebook along with advice on what to do when a child spills boiling hot liquid on themselves.
She highlighted the importance of getting them under cool running water as quickly as possible - but warned of the dangers of using ice cold water which can send them into shock.
Claire said: “I class myself as a savvy, sensible parent, but I didn’t know that the water shouldn’t be ice cold, and I didn't know it needed exposure for that long.
“I wanted to share William’s story, because while I felt incredible shame and guilt, I knew this was a genuine accident that happened to someone who is a good parent.
“There will be hundreds of other parents out there doing a wonderful job every day, but that are just as susceptible to these accidents, and that may, like me, not know what to do if this situation arises for them.”
Claire, from Horsham, West Sussex, added: “It was sitting in hospital that the guilt and horror really set in for me.
“Seeing William so terrified and in pain and having to bring my child into hospital because of my mistake was just awful.
“As a mother, my whole remit is to protect and care for my child, and that is what I have done around the clock from the moment he was born - so I felt ashamed that I had let him down, and like I’d done anything but.
“It was made ten times worse by the fact that I hadn’t known exactly what to do when it did happen.”
Seeing William so terrified and in pain and having to bring my child into hospital because of my mistake was just awful.
Claire James
The hospital praised Edward for keeping William under cool water until the ambulance arrived and said it had saved him from prolonged pain and treatment such as skin grafts.
Claire said: “They stated that injuries such as Williams were incredibly common – I believe there is a statistic stating 30 hot drink scalds in children are admitted to hospital per day.
“But what caused them the most dismay was how few of the parents that came in had any knowledge of how to apply first aid to a child that had experienced a burn or a scald.
“Many would head straight to A&E, without realising that this leaves the skin to continue to burn for example.”
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A few days after returning home from A&E William was taken back to hospital with signs of a fever and rash.
He was treated for five days for suspected mild toxic shock but his skin is now “healing beautifully” and unlikely to scar.
Claire said a child first aid course is now “top of her ‘to do’ list once lockdown is lifted” and hopes other parents will do the same.
