Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC) is urging parents and caregivers to strengthen home safety measures to protect children from preventable burn injuries.

The hospital’s Paediatric Burn Care Unit, the only one of its kind in Jamaica to date, has treated 110 burn cases up to October 2026 compared with 87 cases in 2025.

In a media release on Thursday, the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) noted that this year’s figures underscore the importance of the need for increased public education, parental supervision and the adoption of simple but effective safety practices to reduce the risk of childhood burns.

SERHA pointed out that burn injury among children can result from everyday household activities, including cooking, handling hot liquids, using electrical appliances, and exposure to open flames. Hot water, tea, coffee, cup soups and other heated foods are among the potential hazards that can cause serious injuries among toddlers and children aged four to five years.

“Burn injuries can have serious and lasting consequences for children, affecting not only their physical health but also their emotional well-being and quality of life. We encourage parents/guardians to remain vigilant because a moment of inattention can result in an injury that may require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation,” said Dr Michelle-Ann Richards-Dawson, senior medical officer at BHC.

Bustamante Hospital for Children is the only stand-alone specialist children’s hospital in the English-speaking Caribbean.

The management of the hospital is encouraging parents and caregivers to incorporate several safety measures into their daily routines including not to leave children unsupervised around open flames or at the stove; keep tea cups, cup soups, coffee and other heated foods, especially hot porridge, away from the edges of tables and countertops and out of children’s reach; and ensuring that pot handles are not left protruding beyond the stove, where children can reach or pull them down on themselves.

Additionally, the hospital is pointing out the despite precautions, accidents can happen. If a child sustains a thermal burn, caregivers should remove hot clothing and move them to a safe area; place the affected area under cool, running water for 15-20 minutes.

Parents are also cautioned against applying household or food items, including toothpaste, butter, cooking oil, flour or other home remedies to burned skin, as these can worsen the injury or interfere with medical treatment; and have the child assessed promptly by a health-care professional, particularly if the burn is blistering, deep, extensive or affects the face, hands, feet or other sensitive areas.

Opened in 1963, BHC is the only standalone specialist children’s hospital in the English-speaking Caribbean serving patients from birth up to 12 years of age.