Sometimes when our nieces and nephews are left in our care, stuff happens. They get sick, they get hurt, and issues of concern arise. The following are hypothetical questions that might occur while you are taking care of the kids.  Dr. Stephanie's responses should be read for informational and educational purposes only. While Dr. Stephanie is a real pediatrician, we strongly urge you to seek professional medical advice from your health care provider when a real health concern happens. And in case of emergency, call 911!

My 5 year old nieces and I were baking cookies when one of the twins burned her hand on the cookie sheet. What do I do?

Initially place her hand under running cold water.  If the area is just red with no blisters then you can just watch her.  If you have silvadene in the house you may place that on her hand.

But if there is any blistering, then that is considered at least a second degree burn.  Burns on the hands, if greater than first degree (i.e. sunburn like redness), need immediate medical attention.  The reason is when you have a significant burn to your hand you need to worry about its healing and it can lead to contractures in her hand and permanent damage.

The best thing to do is watch for signs of greater degrees of burn (blistering, peeling, white color, and decreased feeling of pain).  If present then seek immediate medical attention.