Winter weather has many people heating their homes with wood stoves and other hot-surface devices, which can be dangerous for children.
Dr. Michael Bezuhly, the head of plastic surgery with the IWK Health Centre, said it’s something that has sent many children to the hospital with injuries.
“Unfortunately what we’re seeing is a lot of kids coming in contact with these hot surfaces and getting real severe burns to their hands,” he said.
Bezuhly said although stove-related burns are more common this time of year, there’s been higher number of cases in the past few months.
“Last year we saw roughly 24 burns for the entire year. This year we’ve seen half that number in about a third the time. We’ve seen essentially half the number that we saw the entire last year in the last four months,” he said.
Firefighter Jonah Leroux, who’s also a father, said making sure your home is safe is a vital step to protecting children.
Child Safety Link is an injury prevention program that aims to reduce injuries by sharing awareness and tips for children safety.
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Chantal Walsh, a health promotions specialist with the organization, said some of the keys to protecting kids from burns is increased supervision and barricades.
“Prevention’s always on our radar, so obviously supervision is key. It’s also nice to have a barricade or a gate to protect from that because children are quite intrigued by flames,” she said.
While being mindful of children’s activities is a full-time job, parents like Brad Mike say the key is finding the right balance between safety and playtime.
The Child Safety link website has more information and tips on child safety.
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