Black County baby burned by exposed radiator pipe
A mother from the Black Country has warned parents of the dangers of exposed radiator pipes after her nine-month-old baby was left with severe burns.
C
herie Davies, aged 25, from Oldbury, turned her back for two minutes when her son, Charlie, crawled behind the sofa and grabbed hold of an exposed pipe.
The baby was treated for second degree burns and was kept in hospital overnight before being referred to a plastic surgeon.
Over the past week, Charlie has visited the hospital for check-ups and has to have his wound cleaned and re-dressed every three to five days.
Cherie, a stay-at-mother 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 whilst 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.
"I rang an ambulance and he was taken to hospital where they cleaned up the blisters and bandaged his hand.
"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.
"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."
She added: "I just want to warn other parents and prevent these accidents from happening to other children."
