School holiday warning after spike in instant noodle burns, hospital visits

Children are being scalded by hot instant noodles. Photo / Thinkstock

Health authorities in NSW have issued a warning after school holidays led to a spike in children suffering scalding burns from instant noodles and needing hospital treatment.

According to experts at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW) in Sydney, at least 10 children had been treated for injuries from the popular snack in the past month.

The most common injuries were burns to the thighs or genital area after kids had rested the scalding bowl or noodle container on their lap, according to the hospital.

Toddlers were also injured after pulling the boiling container down from the kitchen or table when parents put it out to cool down.

“Boiling water in hot noodle containers can take an hour to cool down to a safe temperature after cooking,” CHW head of the burns unit, Dr Torey Lawrence said.

“This means accidents like spilling the hot water from instant noodles can cause long-lasting injuries and lifelong scarring for children.

“It is important to remember hot food and drink that may be a good temperature for an adult can cause a significant burn to a child.”

According to a study published by researchers at the University of Chicago, instant noodles account for almost a third of childhood burn injuries.

Children are burning themselves with instant noodles. Photo / Unsplash

The study, published in the journal Burns by a group of researchers at the university’s burn centre, examined data regarding all paediatric patients who were admitted with scald injuries caused by hot liquids between 2010 and 2020.

Of the 790 total cases of childhood scald injuries, 31 per cent were caused by instant noodles.

In New Zealand in 2015, six people were admitted to the National Burn Centre at Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital with burns and scalds from hot noodles.

Four of the incidents involved very young children - one was under a year old and a 2-year-old required a skin graft to a badly burned arm.

At the time, Jackie Beaumont, clinical nurse specialist at the National Burn Centre in Auckland, said children under the age of 5 were most at risk.

“Parents see these snacks as a safe option for a quick meal,” she said.

“But when the noodles come out of the microwave or have had boiling water poured over them and left to cool, they can still stay at very high temperatures for a long time.

“Tests have shown some of these snacks take an hour to cool down to safe levels for children to handle.

“People don’t realise water burns like fire and it only takes a few seconds to cause serious damage to a child’s skin.”

She said first aid instructions would be useful on pot noodle packets because many children were not treated properly by parents before being taken to hospital.

She knew of parents who had put toothpaste, butter, flour or eggs on burns, but said those treatments were not effective.

“It is best to put cold running water on the affected area for about 20 minutes.

“Then put some plastic kitchen wrap over the area and seek medical help.”