Nine-month-old boy left with second degree burns and severe blisters after grabbing exposed hot radiator pipes
His mum is now warning other parents of the dangers after the tot was badly injured while crawling around the house
A YOUNG mum is warning parents of the dangers of exposed radiator pipes after her nine-month-old baby was left with severe burns.
Cherie Davies turned her back for two minutes when her son, Charlie, crawled behind the sofa and grabbed hold of an exposed pipe.
The tot was rushed to hospital on November 15 where he was treated for second degree burns and was kept in overnight before being referred to a plastic surgeon the following day.
Over the past week Charlie has visited the hospital for regular check-ups and has to have his wound cleaned and re-dressed every three to five days.
Cherie, from Oldbury, West Midlands, is now warning parents of the dangers of hot radiator pipes in the winter and is encouraging others to cover theirs with insulation.
The stay-at-home mum, 25, said: "When I saw Charlie's burns I felt sick, he only grabbed the pipe for a few seconds but it was that hot it caused second degree burns.
"Charlie has not long started crawling, so he is very curious just like any other toddler would be.
"I had turned my back for just a few minutes while I was putting my kid's toys away and I started to get my daughter, Lacey-May, four, ready for bed.
"Suddenly I heard a scream and I ran to Charlie who was behind the sofa, as soon as I saw his hand I knew he must have grabbed the pipe underneath the radiator.
"I quickly ran it under the tap but his whole palm turned white and waxy and it blistered instantly.
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"I rang an ambulance and he was taken to hospital where they cleaned up the blisters and bandaged his hand.
"He was kept in overnight on the burns unit and the following day we were transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital.
"He was monitored every four hours to make sure he didn't get an infection as the doctors had to burst the blisters and remove the surrounding skin.
"I blamed myself at first, it's hard not to, I took my eyes off Charlie for a few minutes but it's impossible to watch over your kids every second of every day.
"Radiator burns are so common in winter and I would definitely advise parents to cover any exposed pipes with proper insulation as they get hotter than the actual radiator."
Charlie is now having regular visits with a plastic surgeon who has told Cherie that if it heals in two weeks he won't have any scarring.
But if it takes longer than that to clear then it could scar and restrict the movement in his hand meaning he would have to have further treatment.
She added: "We are now having to clean and re-dress his burn every three to five days to stop any infection.
"While we were in the hospital I saw plenty of other children who had suffered burns from all sorts of house items, straighteners, hot water etc, they are so common but people don't realise the dangers of leaving these things lying around.
"Charlie only grabbed the pipe for a few seconds, and to leave the burn it did in that amount of time it must have been at least 70 degrees.
"Charlie is now trying to adapt to using one hand as he is so used to crawling with two, but he is back to his happy self, he is able to play with his toys and get around the house.
"But it's such a shame to see him bandaged up every day, I just want to warn other parents and prevent these accidents from happening to other children."
Charlie's painful burn experience comes after another toddler suffered horrific burns after sneaking behind a radiator while playing.
Two-year-old Bella Davey-Lawrence was airlifted to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children after suffering the burns in January this year.
Doctors bandaged the tot up “like a mummy” – and broke the news that she will have to wear pressure garments 24 hours a day for two years in a bid to reduce her scars.
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