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The domestic iron. A danger to young children
1St James's University Hospital, Leeds.
Insights
Domestic iron burns are common in young children, especially boys aged 1-2 years. Inadequate supervision is often a factor, and non-accidental injury should be considered. Prevention and public awareness are crucial.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric burn epidemiology
- Domestic thermal injury
- Childhood accidents
Background:
- Domestic irons are a frequent cause of thermal injury in young children.
- Understanding the epidemiology of these injuries is vital for prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epidemiology of thermal injuries caused by domestic irons in children aged five years and under.
- To identify risk factors and patterns of iron-related burns in this age group.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of case notes from a hospital's accident and emergency (A&E) department over 36 months.
- Data collected included patient demographics, injury site, extent, mechanism, and outcome.
Main Results:
- 62 thermal injuries in 59 children were identified; 60 were contact burns from irons.
- The most common age group was 1-2 years (55%), with a 2:1 male to female ratio.
- Hands were the most frequent injury site (63%), followed by the face (10%). Inadequate supervision was a common factor, and non-accidental injury was suspected in 10 cases, confirmed in nine.
Conclusions:
- Iron burns are a significant cause of thermal injury in young children, particularly boys aged 1-2 years.
- Most iron burns are treatable in an A&E clinic, but serious injury is possible.
- Non-accidental injury must be considered, and prevention strategies and public awareness are essential.
Objectives:
To study the epidemiology of thermal injury caused by the domestic iron in children 5 years old or less.
Methods:
Retrospective review of case notes held in the accident and emergency (A&E) department of a large teaching hospital over a 36 month period. Data regarding demographics, site and extent of injury, mechanism of injury and outcome were retrieved.
Results:
62 thermal injuries were identified in 59 patients. Of these, 60 were contact burns and two were scalds. The male to female ratio was 2:1. The mean age was 24 months. Fifty five per cent were aged between 1 and 2 years old. The hand was the commonest site of injury (63%) and, of these, two thirds were on the palm. Interestingly 10% occurred on the face. Iron contact burns accounted for 23.5% of all contact burns in this age group over this period. The majority of contact burns were partial thickness and most were less than 1% body surface area. Inadequate supervision is a recurring theme in many of these cases. A suspicion of non-accidental injury was raised in 10 cases and confirmed in nine of these.
Conclusions:
Iron burns are common in young children, particularly boys aged between 1 and 2 years old. Most can be treated in the A&E clinic. The potential for serious injury does exist. Non-accidental injury always needs to be considered. Efforts at prevention and increasing public awareness are needed.