Burns and Scalds

The youngest children are at greatest risk of fire.

• Children aged 5 and under are more than twice as likely to die in a fire as the rest of the population.
• More than half of the children in this age group who die are asleep at the time of the fire, and another one-third of them are too young to react appropriately.
• More than 43% of residential fire-related deaths among children aged 9 and under occur when the child is attempting to escape, is unable to act, or is acting irrationally (1).

Fire injuries among older children can often be attributed to curiosity.

• Studies indicate that by age 12, 50% of all children have played with fire.
• Fires started from children playing with fire tend to begin in a bedroom where children are left alone.
• Approximately 60% of these are started by children playing with matches or lighters.
• Boys are nearly twice as likely as girls to play with fire (1).

Children in homes without working smoke alarms are at the greatest risk. Households without working smoke alarms are approximately two and a half times more likely to have a fire (1).

Children living in rural areas have a dramatically higher risk of dying in a residential fire. Death rates in rural communities are more than two times higher than in large cities, and more than three times higher than in large towns and small cities. (1)

Deaths from fires are also three times greater in winter months compared with summer months (2).

Wearing clothing containing flammable materials also puts children at risk of burns if a fire occurs, particularly if the clothing is loose or flowing, such as a nightgown (2).

Healthy People 2010 Objectives Related to Burns and Scalds:

15-25: Residential Fire Deaths

15-26: Functioning Smoke Alarms in Residences

References:

1.  Safe Kids Campaign. 2004. Facts About Childhood Burns.

2.  David and Lucile Packard Foundation. 2000. The Future of Children.

actforhealth@yahoo.com

Site developed by ORC Macro
Page last updated: 06/15/2006

ACT for Health, Adolescent and Child Targets for Health Foundation, Inc., is an educational and charitable non-profit, non-governmental organization, tax-exempt under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.