‘Less than a second’: Nurse’s warning about instant noodle burns

A pediatric nurse has issued a warning about the safety of a popular children’s meal as temperatures across the nation plummet.

A pediatric nurse has issued a timely warning about the safety of a popular snack as temperatures across the nation plummet.

In an explainer on Instagram, Sarah Hunstead, who runs safety page CPR Kids, reminded parents to be vigilant if feeding their toddlers and young children instant noodles.

“Noodles are a popular snack, especially in the colder months, but did you know they are also a common cause of scald burns in toddlers and children (and teenagers!)?” Ms Hunstead captioned the post.

“Little ones have received serious burns from either pulling a cooling bowl of noodles on top of themselves or spilling them while consuming them.”

It “can take less than a second for spilled instant noodles to cause a severe burn”, she warned, before offering up a “quick and easy tip” to mitigate risk.

“Drain the boiling water, rinse the noodles in cold water in the strainer for a few seconds, and then check the temperature to see whether they are cool enough to eat,” Ms Hunstead advised.

“This way, they will be ready to eat safely without a long wait for them to cool down, and with no scalding water in sight!”

It ‘can take less than a second for spilled instant noodles to cause a severe burn’.

Nurse Sarah Hunstead warned parents to be extra vigilant when feeding kids instant noodles. Picture: Supplied

Experts at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW) in Sydney issued a similar warning last October amid an increased number of children suffering scalding burns from instant noodles during the school holidays.

The most common injuries were burns to the thighs or genital area, the hospital said, caused by kids accidentally spilling the boiling liquid on themselves while eating from their lap or carrying the noodle container.

Toddlers had also suffered burns by pulling the container down from the kitchen bench or table when set out to cool.

’Simple measures such as ensuring children eat noodles at the table instead of on their lap can make a huge difference.’

“Boiling water in hot noodle containers can take an hour to cool down to a safe temperature after cooking,” head of the Burns Unit at CHW, Dr Torey Lawrence, said.

“This means accidents like spilling the hot water from instant noodles can cause long-lasting injuries and lifelong scarring for children.”

It’s important for parents to remember, he added, food or drink “that may be a good temperature for an adult” can result in a “significant burn to a child”.

“Children’s skin is comparatively thinner than adults and even a small amount of hot liquid can cause deeper, more extensive, and more severe burns,” Dr Lawrence said.

Children should have close adult supervision when consuming hot food and drink, Dr Lawrence said.

“Simple measures such as always having an adult remove the container from the microwave, draining the hot water from the noodles before serving, ensuring children eat noodles at the table instead of on their lap, and using non-stick placemats can make a huge difference,” he advised.