Instant Noodles: Don’t Get Burned
The theme for this year’s National Burn Awareness Week (covered by The PediaBlog in February here) was “Hot Liquids Burn Like Fire,” raising awareness for preventing scald injuries.
Children are especially vulnerable to scald injuries. It is estimated that 100,000 children in the U.S. suffer scalding burns each year from hot foods and beverages. Serious burns can lead to lifelong physical and psychological complications.
In a recent study conducted at the University of Chicago Medical Center, researchers revealed a common culprit: instant noodles.
Instant noodle burns comprised nearly one-third of all pediatric scald burn admissions at our institution, a higher proportion than previously reported. While less severe than other scald burns in this series, instant noodles injuries still demonstrated a need for hospitalization and operative intervention. Instant noodle burns disproportionately affected Black/African American patients, as well as from neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic status. These findings suggest that focused burn prevention efforts may be successful at reducing the incidence of these common, but serious injuries.
Another important finding: 40% of the burns caused by hot noodles occurred in children who were alone and not being supervised at the time of the injury.
Kat Carlton explains why instant noodles can be dangerous, especially when handled by young children:
Instant noodles, which contain starchy liquid among their solid components, have been shown to lead to different patterns of burns than hot water alone. While slightly less severe than some other types of scald burns, instant noodle injuries are still dangerous, leading to hospitalizations. Sometimes the burns can require surgery, including skin grafting.
“Direct caregiver supervision is one important step in burn prevention,” said [Dr. Sebastian] Vrouwe. “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.”
There are other steps parents can take to prevent scald injuries in children:
“Lowering hot water heaters to 120 degrees Fahrenheit is one established way to prevent burns in the home. If these reminders come from a trusted source, such as a child’s pediatrician, we feel this might change behaviors over time and reduce the probability of sustaining burns,” he said.
In terms of preventing noodle burns, Vrouwe said caregivers should always have an adult remove noodles from the microwave and keep them out of reach until sufficiently cooled. Eating at a table as opposed to on a lap, he said, is another way to reduce burn risk.
Read more about preventing scalding burns on The PediaBlog here.
source https://www.thepediablog.com/2023/04/13/instant-noodles-dont-get-burned/
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