Doctor shares #1 cause of burns with shocked mum - and it's not just noodles

"There's ways to prevent this that parents might not realise. Don't think your kid is too old to hear them," she told the shaken woman.

It began as a typical weeknight - as disastrous stories often do.

My 16-year-old had made himself a post-dinner snack of instant noodles, then disappeared into his room to game.

Within seconds of hearing his bedroom door slam, I heard, "Mum, I need you!"

I'd never heard that level of panic in his voice before, so I knew it wasn't good. 

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"He was in agony from the noodles"

I found him sitting at his computer, with the full bowl on noodles spilled into his lap. 

But it wasn't just the noodles - it was also the boiling flavoured water they'd just been cooked in.

I immediately told him to strip off and jump into a cold shower. My mind was racing as his genitals and thighs were bright red.

What had been burned?

Knowing the significance of cold running water on a burn within the first 20 minutes, I called an ambulance, rather than take him out of the shower.

He just kept saying, "I'm so sorry". But really, I knew it was my fault.

"The most common cause of burns"

The emergency department doctor later told me that burns from hot food - especially instant noodles - are the most common sort they see.

"This happens more often than you would think. It's the number one cause of burns in kids," she said. I was shocked.

This information was confirmed when I spoke to my sister, Dr Trupti Prasad, a paediatrician in Melbourne, when we got home.

"I saw this all the time when I worked in the ED," she said.

In a quote for Kidspot, Dr Prasad added, "The temperature the water needs to be at to achieve cooking instant noodles can cause serious burns.

"It makes the risks of cooking and consuming what seems like an easy snack for kids to make on their own, higher than many parents realise."

Dr Prasad also warned parents against allowing younger children and tweens, who may seem to be confident in the kitchen, to drain the water from the noodles themselves.

"They also shouldn't eat instant noodles on their laps, but at a table, focusing on what they are doing.

"I also recommend cooking instant noodles on a stove top, so that the cooking vessel doesn't need to be touched - rather than a microwaved bowl - and the use of tongs to transfer the noodles into a bowl that's room temperature.

"Lastly - teach your children about the risks and safety advice, which includes ensuring pot handles are turned inwards on stove tops. And supervise as much as possible."

Source: supplied

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It was a very close call for us

Sydney's Westmead hospital has these holidays reported a shocking rise in instant noodle burns, so this warning is timely.

Luckily, I think perhaps thanks to the first aid treatment and the track pants he was wearing, my son didn't have any permanent or significant damage - unlike the viral story from earlier this month when a child suffered second degree burns from noodles in his lap, and required a pig skin transfer for the affected areas.

So while a snack of two-minute noodles may seem 'innocent', it is very far from it.

A recent study from the University of Chicago Medicine deemed instant noodles a leading cause of burns among kids. Researchers noted that 40% of noodle burns happened when children were left unattended.

They also said, "We were surprised the sheer magnitude of the problem, which confirmed that focused effort and awareness on these types of burns could have a significant impact in the communities that our burn center serves."

How to treat a burn

According to the Raising Children website:

Call an ambulance by phoning 000 if a burn is severe, large or to the child's face, hands, genitals or airway.

Go to your GP or your local hospital if you're not sure how severe a burn is.

Then take the following first aid steps:

1. 1. Make sure the area is safe, and there’s no further risk of injury. Take the child to a safe place if possible.
   2. Take off any clothing (including nappies) or jewelry around the burn, but only if it’s not stuck to the skin and only if you can do so without causing more pain or injury. You might have to cut clothes to remove them.
   3. As soon as possible, hold the burned area under cool running water for a total of 20 minutes. This will reduce tissue damage and pain.
   4. When you’ve finished the water treatment or while you’re taking the child to see a doctor, cover the burn with a loose, light, non-sticky dressing like plastic wrap or a clear plastic bag.
   5. Raise burned limbs. Cover your child with a blanket and keep them warm. This helps prevent hypothermia.

This story was updated in June 2024.

Originally published as Doctor shares #1 cause of burns with shocked mum - and it's not just noodles