URGENT help please!!!

[Rouge]

When I was 2 I got sunburn and sun poisoning which didn't show up straight away, I ended up being hospitalised for fluids and monitoring (not to scare you but it can happen, worst case scenario). I have very very fair skin though. If you are worried I'd take them in just to get checked out. How are they fairing otherwise? Lethargic? Nausea? If not I'd say they will be ok.

[Antheia]

thanks all.

i decided to ring the gp afterhours hotline and get their advice first. they said cause there is no blistering and hes not sick and he is his normal happy self then he should be fine. i will take him in if he becomes sick though. he has now had 6 bottles of water since then and is now in bed. he has an air con in his room so i might put that on too. i'm going to the chemist tomorrow to see how they can help me.

i just feel so bad though as all of us got burnt at the park today (DS the worst though) i never even thought to put sunscreen on as we never go outside unless it is to the car and back so they have never been burnt before

[Mother Goose]

Hi Tegan,

Good for you for rining the GP. The adivce the girls have given is pretty good. As he is asleep and has been fine, I too wouldn't worry too much. Hydration IS the biggest thing to keep an eye on but it sounds like he has been drinking plenty. Getting the heat out of the skin is also important - air con won't necessarily take care of that. The best way to remove heat from the skin (regardless of what caused the burn) is cool running water. 20 min is usually enough. The issue with using a cool compress or sitting in a bath is that the heat from the skin can actually heat the compress/water which can make it ineffective and can actually hinder the process of removing heat. If you do need to use something like a bucket of water or a compress, change the water frequently.

If DS (or DD) does get blisters, do NOT pop them. They will heal on their own but if you pop them, you risk infection (even if you cover them). Just let them be.

It is not recommended to put creams on burns whilst their is still heat in the skin/burn. The rationale for this is that anything applied topically will actually keep the heat in making the burn worse. However, once the heat is out, alovera is brilliant. We always keep some in the fridge as we find it feels more soothing that way although their is no evidence (that I am aware of) that makes refridgerated alovera gel any better or worse than non-refridgerated.

The big things to look out for over night are the usual symptoms of dehydration. Lethargy, difficulty rousing, slurred speech, nausea, vomiting, cramps etc. If they become too dehydrated, they may get muscular cramps - something like pedalyte (kids version of gastrolyte) can helps with this as it is usually caused by an electrolyte imbalance which peadalyte is designed to help keep neutral. If you don't have peadalyte or gastrolyte, some diluted cordial or lemonade will be fine for boosting energy. Water is the absolute best liquid for rehydration although it can sometimes be difficult to get kids to take when they're not well so something like diluted cordial or lemonade is fine. Keep away from juices as they can actually be too acidic in the stomach and trigger vomiting. Also keep away from milk (excluding breast milk) if they feel nauseated for the same reasons. Water truly is best (other than breast milk for breastfed infants). However, if he can tolerate water, there is no reason why you can't try other liquids (small amounts at first to make sure it doesn't make him feel ill).

HTH and good luck. You're doing a great job. If you are at all concerned over night, call the Emergency Room of your local hospital or take them in.

MG

[jaspen]

hope all of you especially DS are doing ok this morning!!!

[Antheia]

DS is still his normal self today.

With regards to getting the heat out. i can't let cold water run on his arms as he just will not let me. He chucked a massive tanty when i tired. The only thing he will let me do is give him a bath. is this still ok?

[Kitt3n]

sure it is Antheia, just make it as cool as possible.

even if you dont have any aloe vera on hand, you can use almost any cream, you can pop it in the fridge for a little bit too so taht it has an even better effect.

DP and i are both very pale - whenever he gets a littel burnt he pops some sorbolene in the fridge and smothers himself in it

[Mother Goose]

Definately is ok Tegan. Just remember to keep adding more cool water to keep it much cooler than his skin. Also keep checking the burn with your hand to see if the heat is out - the aim is to get the heat out of the skin to stop the burning. Also, the water doesn't need to be cold - just tepid.



HTH

MG