Citation

Murphy SM, Murray D, Rooney K, Orr DJ. Burns 2004; 30(6): 581-582.

Affiliation

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin 12, Ireland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.burns.2004.02.003

PMID

15302426

Abstract

Household building standards place the average kitchen counter top at about 75 cm in height largely for ergonomic reasons. A standing child of 9 months who is above the 90th percentile for height will be at least 75 cm, allowing some visualisation of the counter top. With the added reach height of a toddler (approximately 15 cm), a child can pull down an object from within his view. This is significantly different to a child at the 50th percentile for their height and age, who would measure 67 cm, a difference of 8 cm, which makes it much more difficult to reach a counter top.

It seems logical to suggest that taller toddlers who have not yet acquired a sense of danger, would be at particular risk of pulling hot liquid down on top of themselves while exploring their new environment. This hypothesis appears to be supported by our study with all of the 31 consecutive children who sustained this injury being above the 90th percentile for height.

Tall toddlers may be at particular risk of scalding from pulling down hot liquids from kitchen counters. This mechanism of injury is preventable by keeping kettle cords short and coiled or using cordless appliances as well as keeping hot objects well back from the edge of the table or counter. Public education campaigns have been shown to be effective in reducing this type of injury and may be even more significant, if toddlers are indeed getting taller.