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Updated: Jun 28, 2026
Severe Burn Injury in a Swine Model for Clinical Dressing Assessment
Published on: November 6, 2018
Patterns of burn injury in the preambulatory infant
Clare E G Burlinson1, Fiona M Wood, Suzanne M Rea
1Royal Perth Hospital (RPH), Burns Unit, Wellington Street, Perth, WA 6000, Australia. clare.burlinson@doctors.org.uk
Insights
Young infants are at high risk for severe burns, often caused by home environment hazards. Enhanced parental education is crucial for preventing these injuries in babies under six months old.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric burn injuries
- Infant safety and prevention
- Public health and epidemiology
Background:
- Observed increase in severe burn cases among young infants at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH).
- Need to understand injury patterns to inform prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore burn injury patterns in infants under six months old.
- To identify potential prevention methods, focusing on parental education.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of infants under 6 months admitted to PMH Burns Unit.
- Data collected between July 2005 and September 2007.
Main Results:
- Immobile infants are highly susceptible to burns, primarily from home environment factors.
- Common injury mechanisms include scalds (43%), contact burns (39%), and sunburn (11%).
- Total body surface area (TBSA) of burns varied from <0.5% to 30%.
Conclusions:
- Infants under six months face significant burn risks due to home hazards.
- These infants require extensive follow-up care and are vulnerable to improper first aid.
- Improved parental education could decrease the incidence of infant burns.
Introduction:
This study was undertaken after an increasing trend in young babies presenting with severe burns was observed in Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) in Perth, Western Australia. The aim was to explore the patterns of these injuries with a view to identifying whether they could be prevented with better parent education.
Method:
Inclusion criteria was infants under 6 months of age who sustained a burns injury requiring admission or out-patient treatment in the Burns Unit of PMH between July 2005 and September 2007.
Results:
Immobile infants are at significant risk of burns. In infants who are not yet mobile, environmental factors are commonly implicated, with the vast majority of burns sustained in the home. The mechanisms of injuries were scalds (43%), contact burns (39%), sunburn (11%) and TPN burns in premature infants in NICU (7%). TBSA ranged from <0.5% to 30%.
Conclusion:
Infants less than 6-month-old are at significant risk of burn; at this age the injury is usually caused by hazards in the home environment. These infants are vulnerable to inadequate first aid and require a large amount of follow-up care. Better parental education may help reduce the number of injuries we see in this age group.
