Instant noodles are a leading cause of childhood burn injuries, new study
By Heidi Krause|
A popular and convenient low-budget snack ?is proving to be dangerous for young kids.
According to a new US study, instant noodles account for nearly a third of childhood burn injuries.
The study, carried out by? researchers at the University of Chicago and published in the journal 'Burns', analysed data of children who were admitted to hospital with scald injuries between 2010 and 2020.
Of the 790 total cases, 31 per cent were caused by instant noodles.
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Furthermore, unsupervised children also faced higher risk, with 40 per cent of instant noodle burns occurring when children were reported to be alone during time of injury.
"Anecdotally, it felt like every other child we were consulted on for a burn was injured by instant noodles, so we wanted to dive into the data to see what the trend really was," said author Sebastian Vrouwe, assistant professor of surgery at University of Chicago Medicine, in a news release.
"Our hope is to develop the groundwork for future burn prevention programming, as essentially all childhood burns are in some way preventable."
Professor Vro?uwe said his team was surprised by just how significant the problem was.
"We were surprised by the sheer magnitude of the problem, which confirmed that focused effort and awareness on these types of burns could have a significant impact in the communities that our burn center serves," he said in the statement.
"The amount of heat contained in these noodles can easily cause second- and third-degree burns in anyone, but young children are particularly vulnerable due to their relatively smaller bodies and thinner skin."
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According to Professor Vrouwe, adult supervision is essential to help prevent burns from instant noodles, along with having an adult remove noodles from the microwave and keeping them out of reach until sufficiently cooled.
"Direct caregiver supervision is one important step in burn prevention," he said, along with eating the noodles at a table as opposed to on a lap.
In June 2021, eight-year-old Australian girl Milla Radcliffe sustained severe burns from instant noodles.
Milla decided to sit down on the couch to eat with the bowl resting in her lap, rather than the table.
"It all happened so fast," her father Mat said at the time. "Milla was sitting eating when I heard her scream. I won't ever forget it."
Some of the hot water from the bowl had spilt onto Milla's lap, causing her to jump and the entire scolding hot contents of the bowl tipped onto her legs. In an instant, Milla sustained severe burns to the inside of her thighs and groin area.
While Mat was shocked, fortunately he knew the correct first aid treatment for burns and immediately leapt into action.
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"I thought for a moment that the noodles had stuck to her, but it was actually her skin bubbling and peeling," Mat said. "I felt sick, but knew I had to get water on her and the ambulance called."
"Within seconds I had her pants off and running her legs and groin under cool water. She was sobbing and in shock."
Milla's message to other kids was very simple: "Always sit down with your food and don't put it on your lap."?
According to the Australian and New Zealand Burns Association (ANZBA), almost 50 per cent of burn injuries in children occur in the kitchen.
The main ways burns are sustained is when toddlers reach up and 'pull the container down from the bench' or when people are removing noodles from microwaves, especially those at raised height or containers very full of liquid.
"Noodles are very hot immediately after cooking; particularly those cooked on the stove or in the microwave, and take a long time to cool down," they said in a statement. "For younger children, this can cause burns to the face, chest, arm and hands."
They also made the following recommendations:
- Do turn saucepan handles away from the edge of the stove.
- Do make sure that the noodle container/dish is well out of reach.
- Do strain the hot liquid off cooked noodles before serving.
- Do eat the noodles at a table and not from the lap.
- Do actively supervise children while they are eating noodles.
- Do not leave young children unattended whilst noodles are hot.
- Do not let young children cook noodles unsupervised.
- Do not let children remove hot noodles from microwaves
- Do not eat noodles from a container on the lap.?
If a burn or scald does occur, it's important to know what to do, says KidSafe Australia. Taking the correct first aid steps quickly can make a huge difference in the long-term outcome of a burn injury.
How to treat a burn?
- Remove จC remove yourself from danger. Remove any clothing and jewellery from the burn area unless well stuck to the skin.
- Cool จC place the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes. Never use items like ice, oil or butter on a burn as these can make it worse.
- Cover the burn with a clean dressing.
- Seek medical attention if the burn or scald is on the face, hands, feet, genitals or buttocks, is larger than a 20-cent coin or blistered.
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