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Every week, over 19 children are treated at a specialist burns unit across Australia and New Zealand

Kidsafe, in partnership with the Australian & New Zealand Burn Association (ANZBA), is urging parents and carers to be extra vigilant this winter to prevent burns, and ensure they are aware of the correct first aid steps for burns.

The call comes during National Burns Awareness Month, an Australia-wide campaign run by Kidsafe focused on raising awareness of prevention and correct first aid treatment for burns and scalds across all age groups.

Data from the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ) shows that in 2020/2021, 1,009 children aged under 15 were admitted to burns units across Australia and New Zealand – over 19 per week.

The primary cause of injury in paediatric patients was scalds (49%), in particular scalds from hot drinks such as tea and coffee.

Gretchen Waddell, Program Manager at Kidsafe Victoria, highlighted that the home is the most common location for childhood burn injuries (76%), with statistics showing that the majority occur in the kitchen (44%).

“It’s important as parents and carers that we remain vigilant and take action to help reduce the risk of burns to children in the home. Along with active adult supervision, important prevention steps include keeping children out of the kitchen when meals are being prepared, placing hot food and drinks out of reach, and ensuring older children eat whilst sitting at a table to help prevent spills.”

“Particularly during winter, hot water bottles, heat bags, and heaters are also potential burn hazards for children. Restricting children’s access to these items is also recommended,” said Ms Waddell.

The statistics also reveal that 26% of children and 40% of adults (≥16 years) did not receive the recommended ‘gold standard’ initial first aid treatment for their burn injury, underlining the importance of continued education on burns first aid.

“If a burn happens, it’s critical that cool running water is applied to the burn area for 20 minutes. Many people still do not realise that using ice, creams, ointments, or butter on a burn can make the injury worse,” said Ms Waddell.

“Taking the correct first aid steps can make a significant difference in the rehabilitation and long-term outcome of the burn injury”.

Milla was eight years old when she suffered severe burns to the inside of her thighs and groin area when a bowl of hot instant noodles accidentally tipped into her lap.

“Milla was sitting eating when I heard her scream. I won’t ever forget it,” said her father Mat Radcliffe.

“I thought for a moment that the noodles had stuck to her but it was actually her skin bubbling and peeling.”

Two years on, Milla is still impacted by this tragic and painful incident that has left her with permanent scarring. While she has come a long way in the last 12 months, she still requires frequent moisturizer, appointments with a Burns Physiotherapist and is understandably hesitant when eating hot foods or liquids.

Milla expressed that other kids should be very careful with hot food to reduce the risk of burns. “Always sit down with your food and don’t put it on your lap,” said Milla.

During National Burns Awareness Month, Kidsafe is encouraging parents and carers to download and use their Burns Safety Checklist to prevent burns around the home, and to ensure they are aware of the correct first aid steps to take in the event that someone sustains a burn:

First aid treatment of burns and scalds

  • Remove – remove yourself from Remove any clothing and jewellery from the burn area unless stuck to the skin
  • Cool – Place the burn under cool running water for twenty minutes. Items like ice, oil or butter should never be placed on a burn as they can make it
  • Cover the burn with a clean dressing
  • Seek medical attention if the burn or scald is on the face, hands, feet, genitals, or buttocks, is larger than a 20-cent coin or

For more information about National Burns Awareness Month and burns prevention and first aid resources, please visit Kidsafe Victoria’s website

Milla’s Incident 

Milla was eight years old when she suffered severe burns to her lower body. Two years on, she has permanent scarring and still requires daily moisturising of the area where she was burned.

On this particular day, she came home from a party feeling hungry, so she did what she’s done many times before and prepared herself one of her favourite snacks – some instant noodles.

Usually, Milla would sit up at a table while she eats, but on this occasion she didn’t. Instead, she sat down on the couch with the bowl of hot instant noodles resting in her lap.

“It all happened so fast,” recalled her father Mat.

“Milla was sitting eating when I heard her scream. I won’t ever forget it.” 

Some of the hot water from the bowl she was eating out of accidentally spilt onto her lap. This made Milla jump, causing the entire contents of the bowl of instant noodles and hot water to tip onto her.

Milla immediately sustained severe burns to the inside of her thighs and groin area.

“Within seconds I had her pants off and running her legs and groin under cool water. She was sobbing and in shock.” 

“I thought for a moment that the noodles had stuck to her but it was actually her skin bubbling and peeling.” 

“I felt sick but knew I had to get water on her and the ambulance called.” 

Thankfully, Mat knew the correct first aid treatment for burns – his actions, along with Milla being taken to hospital quickly, played a significant role in her recovery. Amazingly, she was home in just 24 hours – very sore and with an ongoing routine to manage her pain and injuries.

Milla recalled how she felt when the accident happened.

“I was so scared. The pain was horrible – on a scale from 1-10 it was definitely a 10!” 

Her message to other kids is very simple: “Be very careful. Always sit down with your food and don’t put it on your lap.” 

Two years later and Milla is still impacted by this tragic and painful incident.

Milla’s scarring is permanent, however after 12 months of frequent dressings and moisturising the area where she was burned, Milla has come a long way. She has ongoing scar management appointments with her Burns Physiotherapist, however this is now annually, and still requires daily moisturising of her scar tissue.

The main thing she was worried about after the incident first happened was not being able to do cartwheels again – thankfully she can.

Today, Milla is very active – swimming, playing tennis, running and gymnastics. Any further surgery would be for cosmetic reasons only. Milla loves going to the beach and swimming but has to make sure her scar is covered to prevent sun damage. She has come a long way in the last 12 months.

About National Burns Awareness Month 

National Burns Awareness Month is an initiative run by Kidsafe Australia in partnership with the Australian & New Zealand Burns Association (ANZBA). It is held at the beginning of winter in June each year as there is a significantly increased risk of burns during winter months. A series of national educational and awareness initiatives will be run throughout the month to raise awareness regarding the prevention and correct first aid treatment of minor burns through social media.

For more information about National Burns Awareness Month and burns prevention and first aid resources, please visit: