Burn Injuries in Children: How Occupational Therapy Can Help

The first thing that may come to mind when thinking of what causes a burn may be fire or a hot stove, but it is important to know that burns can be caused by a wide variety of things no matter the season. According to the World Health Organization, burns are the fifth most common cause of non-fatal childhood injuries, so it’s important to be educated on other potential causes of burns.

Here are some common causes of burns in children:

• Fireworks
• Sparklers
• Lighters
• Camp fire
• Sun burn
• Kitchen burns: spilling hot soup or beverage, bumping into parent carrying hot pan or mug, grabbing hot spoon from parent’s bowl, spilling hot foot when trying to remove from the microwave
• Touching hot fireplace glass surround or wood burning stove
• Touching candles, hot wax pots
• Touching hot hair styling tools
• Touching running treadmill or vacuum
• Harsh chemicals

How can occupational therapy help?

Children with burn injuries may be seen by occupational therapists in a wide variety of settings including inpatient, outpatient developmental, hand therapy and burn clinic. Some children with severe burns require inpatient, hospitalized care for more intensive medical treatment, then are transitioned to outpatient care as they heal.

Children are often recommended for frequent follow up in an outpatient burn clinic for assessment and ongoing care with a team which includes physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, psychologists and occupational or physical therapists who specialize in burn care treatment. Occupational therapists work with the rest of the burn team to address wound healing and scar management as well as to help limit functional impairment whenever possible so a child can return to normal activity. 

An occupational therapist might suggest specific exercises and age appropriate play activities to encourage motion of injured areas, fabricate splints to stretch involved joints and limit contractures, recommend massage to soften scarring, and/or order compression garments to flatten raised scarring.

If you suspect your child has been burned, it is important to seek medical attention by contacting your child’s pediatrician or taking your child to an urgent care or emergency department for early appropriate care.

For more information about occupational therapy services at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, click here.