URGENT help please!!!

[Antheia]

Today DD and DS got really sunburnt. It's on their arms and face. DS is the worst though, it looks so bad. I'm not sure if i should take him to the after hours GP or not? If i did, what would they do? Anything? I feel like the world's worst mother right now

(oh and DS is 16mths old)

[jaspen]

some medical people will probably be able to give you the best advice but can you feel the heat in their burn??? I would be trying cool showers/baths and cool compresses (ice in tea towels) - no direct ice though, and stop the burn - keep the fluids up to keep up their hydration. I always find that sunscreen after the fact helps with healing but if you suspect its really bad and could require medical treatment I wouldn't be doing anything except the ice and cool water until its been seen. Aloe vera is also a good healer for burns too but I'd be trying to cool it off first. Is their any blistering yet??? If its already blistered I'd definitely be off to the docs (just me) - I don't know how correct this is but this is how I would consider handling it. Have you got the 24hr nurse number that exists in NSW if so give them a call and seek their advice. If you are still really concerned though I'd be off to the doc (applying cooling all the way) so you can get the earliest attention possible or even go via a late night pharmacy if you suspect you'll have a long wait at docs. Hope its not as bad as it looks and doesn't cause them too much discomfort over the next few days

[Antheia]

yeah it is really hot. I don't think it is blistering though. DH is giving him a bath now with DD. He is drinking but im not sure if it's enough or not as he is getting full and not wanting any more.

[Shanti]

Tegan - sorry to hear that

Have you got an 'aloe vera' plant in your garden or does the neighbours?? If so, rip a piece off and squeeze the sticky juice out of it and put that all over his skin, it soothes sunburn, i've done it before and you can buy those 'after-sun aloe vera' gel's from your chemists and some petrol stations sell them too if nothing is open right now.... try that... that will soothe it immensely... cools the skin down...

I used to get very sunburnt when i was younger (bad i know) as i was in surf life saving and at the beach all the time. Trust me if you can get onto an aloe vera plant its the best thing!!!! & natural...

[Antheia]

Nope, no aloe vera and nothing is open near me now. Thanks for the advice though i will buy some tomorrow. i'm just not sure what to do right now Can't find a 24hr hotline number for nsw either...

[Beach Mama]

Aww poor things - I would call and find out if you can, I tried to find the number but can't seem to find one for NSW - maybe you could call the Vic one and see if they can direct you or even give you advice??

It's 13 22 29 - good luck hun.

[Shanti]

Make sure you get some of the aloe vera gel tomorrow from Woolworths or chemist... it's worth it....

For now, make sure he drinks plenty of water and maybe suck on an iceblock? watery one... he needs fluids to cool his body down that will help... he might have a bit of heat stroke...he'll be okay though... just sore...

[jaspen]

I just went hunting through our magnet collection and found an old one for westmead childrens when we lived in Sydney - they had a sick kids helpline (02) 9845 2432 - it doesn't say whether it was 24hrs and won't be toll free from where you are but don't be afraid to use it if you need some reassurance. I tend to agree with Renstar though if you can keep up fluids (offer every 15 to 20 mins while awake) or watery iceblocks and some exterior cooling to the affected areas he will know doubt be fine but I do know how worried we get about unwell kids so :hugs: and thoughts to you tonight.

If you have an aircondtioned room (not too cold) I'd consider sleeping him in their to keep his body temperature down and minimise the sweating and burning.

[tiggerlinda]

Antheia,

I am the palest and get burn't all the time

Fluid is a big thing if you can back that up with bethapthem or paw paw ointment it will ease the sting they are my two favs along with aloe vera.

I did at one stage have nothing in the house and used camaoile ointment it soothed it too.

Hope it helps hopefully they are feeling ok and BTW it is not your fault these things happen

[PaulaandJacob]

Dont want to scare you but the thing with skin is it keeps burning unless you get the heat out of it. Better safe than sorry. There is a 24 hour phone line staffed by nurses you can call but im not sure of the number sorry. The last thing is, please be kind to yourself we all make mistakes! good luck

[~Trish~]

The NSW parent's line (maternal child health line) is 132 055.

Hope your little one is OK.

[mickyndan]

Maybe try ringing 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84). They are 24 hours and they will put you onto a nurse to give you advise... And, don't feel bad - these things happen. Good Luck xxoo

[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