Pediatric soup burns “alarmingly” high; report

Being accidentally burned as a child isn’t uncommon, but one source of burns stands out far more among the rest: soup. As reported by The Atlantic, soup is the second most popular cause of burn-related US hospital visits for young kids. An estimated 100,000 children scalded yearly by hot food and beverages. Among upper-body soup burns, the average child required an 11-day hospital stay, and some sustained injuries severe enough to require intravenous narcotics. Instant microwavable noodle-soups, often packaged in flimsy containers, account for 2,000 US pediatric burns a year.

“Fluids like that can be superheated such that when you touch them, there’s almost like a mini explosion,” James Gallagher, the director of the Burn Center at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork–Presbyterian, told The Atlantic. 

As cited in the report, a 2007 study found boiling tap water actually cooled off faster than certain soups. Soups with noodles in them may retain heat longer than expected, and the noodles’ texture may also increase the severity of a burn as their texture adheres to skin. Heartier soups and chowders may offer the same increase in concern. In the event a child is burned, Gallagher advised parents to avoid applying ice to the area — but to instead remove any clothes or diapers that are soaked with hot water, run cool water over the injury for 20 minutes, and then call your doctor.