Make Safety a Priority this Fourth of July

Child Safety and Caregiving

With the summer in full swing and the Fourth of July around the corner, many children will be around campfires, fireworks, barbeques and other activities that have the potential to cause injuries including burns. It is important for parents and caregivers to know how to prevent and care for burns as well as to know when a burn needs medical attention.

There are four different levels or degrees of burns determined by severity. Each level of burn becomes more serious and is treated differently. Parents should know which level of burn they are dealing with before beginning treatment.

"Burns to the hands and face need immediate medical attention. These injuries often seem minor but can be problematic for a long time. First degree burns are usually red and extremely painful but without blisters. They occasionally require medical attention due to the pain. Second degree burns, also called partial thickness burns, have blisters or a base that is red and moist. They are painful and can convert to third degree burns if not treated appropriately. The Arkansas Children's Hospital Burn Center is the best place for treatment of these burns," says William L. Hickerson, M.D., FACS, medical director of the Arkansas Children's Hospital Burn Center and of professor of surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine. "Third degree burns, also called full thickness burns, will not heal without skin grafting and fourth degree burns are into the bone or muscle. Third and fourth degree burns should be treated at the Burn Center."

To keep children safe this summer, Jimmy Parks, R.N. and outreach coordinator of the Arkansas Children's Hospital Burn Center recommends leaving fireworks to the experts.