Burns vs. Scalds: What’s the Difference?

Scalds come from wet heat: hot liquids, steam, or bathwater.

Burns result from dry heat: fire, hot metals like irons, electricity, friction, or chemicals.

Both cause tissue damage and require identical treatment. Kitchen accidents (hot drinks, microwaved foods, electrical cords) and bathroom scalds are the most common injuries in young children.

Prevention: Simple Steps That Save Lives

Many parents focus on obvious safety tips, turning pot handles inward, tucking appliance cords away. But these lesser-known precautions are equally critical:

Set Your Geyser to 49°C
Your water heater thermostat is your first line of defence. In America, hot tap water causes 1,500 hospital admissions and 100 deaths yearly. A child can suffer serious burns in just 5 seconds at 60°C. Set it correctly, and this danger disappears.

Never Carry Hot Liquids While Holding a Child
One quick movement and scalding liquid spills. Coffee at 79°C requires only two seconds of contact to cause surgery-level burns.

Create a 1-Meter “No Play Zone”
Children must stay clear of stoves, ovens, and braais. That one-meter boundary prevents curious hands from reaching dangerous heat sources.

Microwave Safety Matters
Steam builds dangerously inside heated containers. If your little helper lifts the lid, a steam burn follows. Avoid microwaving bottles, they heat unevenly and create dangerous hot spots.

An Accident Happens: The 6 C’s for First Aid

Clothing
Remove any fabric from the burned area immediately. This stops heat from being trapped and prevents restricted blood flow if swelling occurs.

Cooling
Run cool or lukewarm water over the burn for 10-20 minutes, never use ice, which causes further tissue damage.

Cleaning
If debris is present, gently dab with mild soapy water. Don’t scrub.

Chemoprophylaxis
Apply cooling cream, burn packs, or aloe vera gel. These protect while cooling the wound.

Cover
Use cling wrap if bandages aren’t available. It prevents infection without sticking to the skin.

Comfort
Give paracetamol or ibuprofen immediately. Burn pain is extreme and requires urgent relief.

Critical Don’ts

• Don’t remove clothing stuck to skin
• Avoid breaking blisters, they protect underlying tissue
• Never apply butter, oil, turmeric, or toothpaste (these trap heat and increase infection risk)
• Don’t use adhesive bandages, cotton wool, or fluffy materials (they stick and damage healing skin)

The Psychological Impact Is Real

Burns heal, but trauma lingers. Children who’ve experienced serious burns face increased risk of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Parents often carry guilt that affects the whole family.

Preparation transforms crisis response. Keep an emergency box with burn packs, phone numbers accessible to all caregivers, and ensure everyone knows basic first aid. After immediate treatment, always have a medical professional assess your child to prevent complications like infection, slow healing, or disfigurement.

Life can change in seconds. Your preparedness and quick response can mean the difference between a minor injury and lifelong scarring.

Is your family prepared for emergencies? Book a consultation at my Johannesburg practice. As a paediatrician, I can review your home safety, discuss age-appropriate prevention, and ensure you’re equipped to handle childhood injuries with confidence.

The post Burn Awareness in Children | Prevention and First Aid appeared first on Dr Maraschin - Paediatrician.

If you’re worried about your baby’s ears during an upcoming flight, you’re not alone. Let me explain what’s happening and exactly how to help.

Why Do Babies Get Sore Ears While Flying?

The medical term is ear barotrauma (also called barotitis media or aerotitis media). When a plane descends rapidly, say, from Johannesburg to Durban in under an hour, cabin pressure changes faster than the pressure inside your baby’s middle ear can adjust.

Here’s the anatomy: the Eustachian tube is a tiny pipe connecting the middle ear (behind the eardrum) to the back of the throat. Its job is to equalise air pressure, drain fluid, and protect against infection.

In babies, these structures are still developing and often very narrow. Add a snotty nose, cold, ear infection, or swollen adenoids, and that tube fills with fluid, making pressure equalisation nearly impossible. The result? Intense pain.

Adults experience fullness, popping sounds, and discomfort. Babies? They scream.

Signs Your Baby Has Ear Pain While Flying

Watch for:

• Sudden crying during takeoff or landing
• Pulling at ears
• Arching back or turning the head side to side
• Inconsolable fussiness
• Crying that continues after landing

Simple Strategies to Relieve Ear Pain in Children

You know from experience that swallowing, yawning, or chewing gum helps your own ears. Babies can’t follow these instructions, but you can encourage the same mechanisms:

1. Feed During Takeoff and Landing: Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding triggers swallowing, which opens the Eustachian tube and equalises pressure. Time feeds to coincide with descent; this is your most powerful tool.
2. Use a Pacifier: The sucking motion helps ears adjust to pressure changes. If your baby takes a dummy, this is the time to use it without guilt.
3. Keep Baby Upright: Hold your baby in an upright position rather than lying flat. This allows any fluid in the Eustachian tube to drain, relieving pressure naturally.
4. Offer Plenty of Water (for Older Babies): Drinking and swallowing open the Eustachian tube. The dry cabin air also thickens nasal mucus, making blockages more likely; hydration helps prevent this.
5. Keep Baby Awake: We swallow less frequently while sleeping, making pressure equalisation harder. Try to keep your little one awake during takeoff and landing.
6. Try Breathing Exercises (Toddlers): Make it a game. Breathe in slowly, gently pinch the nose tip to slightly close nostrils, then breathe out through the nose with the mouth closed. This helps equalise ear pressure.

When to Consider Medical Help

As Dr Maraschin, I don’t recommend medicating unnecessarily, but if your child is unwell and you’re concerned about pain, discuss these options with your doctor:

Decongestant Nose Spray: One puff or drop per nostril, given 30 minutes before takeoff (and landing on flights over 4 hours). This clears mucus that might block the Eustachian tube. Use baby-specific formulations only.

Paracetamol: Dosed correctly for your child’s weight, given 30 minutes before takeoff (and landing on longer flights) to control pain and discomfort.

Antihistamines: If your baby is snotty, an infant antihistamine can dry up mucus. Give a few hours before the flight, effects usually last 8-12 hours.

Active Ear Infections: I prefer that children not fly with confirmed ear infections. The added pressure is extremely painful and can rupture the eardrum. Ask your doctor for a postponement letter if possible. If you must fly, take every precaution listed above.

When to Seek Help

Ear barotrauma usually resolves quickly without permanent damage. However, see a doctor if:

• Fussiness continues for days after landing
• You notice bleeding from the ear
• Your child develops a fever or seems unwell

In my daughter’s case, we didn’t realise she had a minor cold starting, which worsened the pressure during that sudden descent. On our return flight, we used every trick, and she slept the whole way peacefully.

Planning holiday travel with your little one? Book a consultation with our Johannesburg practice before you fly. I’ll assess your baby’s ear health and create a personalised plan to keep those flights stress-free.

The post Flying With Babies: How to Prevent Ear Pain appeared first on Dr Maraschin - Paediatrician.

As a paediatrician (and grandparent), I’ve encountered countless cases of dental trauma and soft tissue injuries. The key is staying calm and knowing when to manage at home and when to seek urgent care.

When to See a Doctor or Dentist Immediately

If your child has any of the following, seek immediate medical or dental care:

• Bleeding that doesn’t stop after 10 minutes
• A broken, loose, or missing tooth
• A large or gaping cut on the lips, face, tongue, or inside the mouth
• A tooth pushed through the lip
• A foreign object lodged in the mouth or throat (do NOT remove it)
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Signs of unusual drowsiness or disorientation
• You’re simply unsure or concerned

Common Mouth Injuries in Children

1. Frenulum Tear (Bleeding, No Visible Cut)

Scenario: A ball hits your child’s mouth. There’s a lot of blood, but no visible wound.

Diagnosis: Likely a frenulum injury — the thin tissue connecting the upper lip to the gum.

What to Do:

• Apply a cold cloth
• Give paracetamol for pain
• Avoid acidic foods (e.g. orange juice, tomato-based sauces)
• Bleeding should stop within minutes

This injury looks dramatic, but usually heals on its own.

2. Bitten Lip or Cut Lip

Scenario: A fall results in your child biting or cutting their lip.

What to Do:

• Clean the area gently
• Apply a cold compress
• Use paracetamol as needed
• Seek help if:
  • The cut is deep
  • Teeth punctured through the lip
  • The skin is gaping or torn

3. Bitten Tongue

Scenario: Your child falls and bites their tongue during impact.

What to Do:

• Rinse the mouth with clean water
• Apply pressure with sterile gauze if bleeding
• Use a cold cloth-wrapped ice cube to reduce swelling
• Avoid placing ice directly on the tongue
• Seek help if:
  • Bleeding lasts longer than 15 minutes
  • The bite is larger than 2 cm
  • The tongue looks partially amputated
  • You see a piece of tooth embedded in the tongue

4. Minor Tooth Loosening

Scenario: A fall causes gum bleeding and a slightly wobbly tooth.

What to Do:

• Offer a soft diet for 1–2 weeks
• Visit a dentist for assessment
• Manage discomfort with paracetamol

If the tooth hasn’t shifted out of place, this is usually a minor injury.

5. Tooth Pushed into Gum (Intrusion)

Scenario: A toddler falls and a tooth appears pushed upwards.

What to Do:

• Give pain relief
• Book an urgent dentist appointment
• Follow a soft food diet

This may be a baby tooth, but an X-ray is necessary to check for root damage or harm to the developing permanent tooth.

6. Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth

Scenario: A permanent tooth is completely knocked out during sports or a fall.

What to Do:

1. Stay calm and reassure your child
2. Pick up the tooth by the white crown, not the root
3. Rinse gently in milk
4. If your child allows, reinsert it into the socket
5. If not, store the tooth in a cup of milk
6. Go to emergency dental care immediately

Time is critical – ideally within 30 minutes.

7. Object Injury to the Soft Palate or Throat

Scenario: A toothbrush or pencil is in your child’s mouth during a fall.

What to Do:

• Do NOT attempt to inspect or remove anything
• Go to the nearest emergency centre immediately
• A deep puncture in this area can affect large vessels or cause a serious infection

This is a high-risk injury, urgent evaluation is needed.

Prevention Tips for Mouth Injuries

Help reduce the risk of future trauma by following these safety tips:

• No running with objects in the mouth (e.g. pencils, lollipops, toothbrushes)
• Use non-slip mats in bathrooms and around wet areas
• Avoid rough play near hard furniture
• Teach older children to keep a safe distance during sports
• Always wear helmets and mouth guards during cycling, contact sports, and skating

Fun fact: Athletes are 60× more likely to have dental trauma without a mouth guard. With one, the risk drops by 82–93%.

Final Thoughts

Mouth injuries can be distressing, but most are treatable with the right response. Stay calm, assess the situation, and reach out to your doctor or dentist if you’re uncertain.

Your child’s smile is worth protecting — and you’re doing an amazing job being prepared.

References:

• https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/dental-disorders/lip-and-tongue-disorders/tongue-trauma
• https://gpdsmile.com/first-aid-for-a-bitten-tongue-or-lip-in-kids/
• https://www.seattlechildrens.org/conditions/a-z/mouth-injury/
• https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(14)64802-9/abstract

The post My Child Has Injured Their Mouth – What Now? appeared first on Dr Maraschin - Paediatrician.