Warm and safe: hot water bottles, radiators and hot water

Why heat is an underestimated risk

When parents think of burns, most think of the cooker, but much of the heat in a home sits in places you hardly notice. A hot water bottle, a radiator, the hot tap in the bathroom or a heater feel familiar and are therefore rarely seen as a danger. A baby's skin is much thinner than an adult's and burns at a lower temperature and in less time. On top of that, a baby does not pull or roll away from something that is too hot, certainly not in a sleeping bag or under a blanket. So this is not about spectacular accidents, but about everyday heat that is just a little too long or a little too close. This article goes through the heat sources in the home and what you can do about each one.

The hot water bottle: useful, but not in the cot

A hot water bottle is a fine way to warm up a cold cot, as long as the bottle is out before your baby goes in. Never put a hot water bottle in bed with your baby, not even in a cover or at the foot end, because a baby cannot turn away from the heat and also overheats quickly. Do not fill a rubber hot water bottle with boiling water, but with hot tap water or water that has cooled for a moment, and squeeze the air out before closing the stopper. Check the bottle regularly for cracks, porous patches and a poor stopper, and replace it when in doubt, because old rubber can burst without warning. Always use a cover and store the bottle out of reach after use. Before putting your baby down, feel with your hand or forearm whether the cot is pleasantly warm and not hot.

Heat check by location

• •Cot: hot water bottle out before your baby goes in
• •Bathroom: thermostatic tap on a safe setting, bath water around 37 degrees
• •Living room: cot, playpen and play mat not against a hot radiator
• •Stove or fireplace: fixed fireguard and a carbon monoxide alarm
• •Nursery: no electric heater while your child sleeps alone
• •Hot appliances: cool down on a high shelf, cable wound up

Hot tap water and the thermostatic tap

Hot tap water is one of the classic causes of serious burns in young children, especially in the bath and the shower. A thermostatic tap helps a great deal, because you set the temperature in advance and most models have a safety button at around 38 degrees that you must press deliberately to get hotter water. When filling the bath, run cold water first and then add hot, and mix the water well before your baby goes in. Measure the temperature with a bath thermometer and aim for around 37 degrees, and also check with your wrist or elbow. Do not lower the temperature of a hot water tank yourself to prevent burns, because it needs to stay hot enough for hygiene reasons; manage the risk at the tap instead and ask your installer if in doubt. Never leave a baby or toddler alone in the bath, not even briefly, and never turn on a separate tap while your child is already in the water.

Radiators, convectors and underfloor heating

A radiator on a standard central heating system can get hot enough to burn a baby who crawls against it or falls asleep next to it. Check room by room how hot your radiators get; low temperature heating and underfloor heating carry much less risk than an older system on a high setting. Do not place the cot, playpen or play mat directly against a radiator, so that a hand or foot cannot get stuck between or rest against it. A radiator cover or a securely fixed guard can help for a radiator where your child plays a lot, as long as enough ventilation remains. With thermostatic radiator valves, watch out for loose caps and small parts your child can twist off. Do not hang clothes or towels to dry over a radiator in the nursery, as that makes the room warmer and more humid than you want.

Stoves, fireplaces and electric heaters

A wood burner, gas fire or open fireplace stays hot long after use, especially the glass and the door of a stove. Fit a sturdy fireguard that is fixed to the wall and stands well clear of the stove, so your child cannot reach it and cannot pull the guard over. Install a carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a combustion appliance, as the fire service advises, and have the stove and flue checked every year. Electric heaters, such as an oil-filled radiator or a fan heater, do not belong in the nursery while your child sleeps there alone. If you do use one briefly, choose a model with tip-over protection, place it out of reach and route the cable so your child cannot pull on it. Never put anything on or against a heater to dry.

Irons, hair straighteners and other hot appliances

Many burns are caused by appliances that stay hot for a while after you switch them off. An iron, hair straightener, curling iron or hair dryer often ends up in a low spot after use, or hangs from a cable over the edge. A child who pulls up on a cable drags the appliance down onto themselves, and it is exactly that combination of weight and heat that makes the damage serious. Ideally iron while your child is asleep or in another room, and let the iron cool afterwards somewhere well above reaching height. Put straighteners and curling irons in a heat-resistant pouch or on a high shelf after use and wind up the cable. Treat a hot appliance as only put away once it is cold.

First aid for a burn

Cool a burn immediately with lukewarm, gently running tap water for at least ten minutes, as the Dutch Burns Foundation (Brandwondenstichting) advises: water first, the rest comes later. Do not use ice-cold water or ice, and keep the rest of your baby warm with a towel, because a small child cools down quickly while you are cooling the burn. Carefully remove clothing and jewellery around the wound, unless they are stuck to the skin. Do not put anything on the wound, so no butter, ointment, toothpaste or cream, and do not burst blisters. After cooling, cover the wound loosely with clean, lint-free material. With a baby, always contact the GP or out-of-hours GP service for a burn with blisters, a wound larger than your child's palm, or a wound on the face, hands, feet, joints or genitals. If in doubt, call your GP, the out-of-hours GP service or 112.

Keeping warm without extra risk

The best way to keep your baby warm is not to add extra heat, but to use the right clothing and a suitable sleeping bag. A bedroom of around 18 degrees is a good starting point, and you adjust the sleeping bag and clothing to the room temperature rather than the other way round. Feel the back of your baby's neck to check whether they are warm enough; cold hands say little, a sweaty neck means it is too warm. Do not use a hot water bottle, electric blanket or extra blankets in the cot, not even in winter. A hat is not needed indoors or during sleep, because a baby needs to be able to lose heat through the head. If you are unsure about clothing or sleep temperature, ask for advice at the consultatiebureau (child health clinic).

A warm home that is also safe

Heat safety comes down to a few fixed habits, not expensive changes. Take the hot water bottle out of the cot before your baby goes in, set the thermostatic tap to a safe setting and always test bath water. Check once per room how hot radiators and heaters get, and move the cot or playpen if needed. Make sure there is a fireguard and a carbon monoxide alarm wherever there is a combustion appliance, and let hot appliances cool out of reach. Know what to do with a burn, so you do not have to think in the first few minutes. Use the room checklists in this app to keep track per room of what is already sorted and what is still open.