National Burn Prevention Day for Children and Adolescents in Mexico

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes a burn as an injury to the skin or other organic tissue caused primarily by heat or radiation, radioactivity, electricity, friction or contact with chemicals. However, it should be noted that thermal (heat-induced) burns occur when some or all of the cells of the skin or other tissues are destroyed by: hot liquids (scalding); hot solid objects (contact burns); or flames (fire burns).

Burns are frequent in girls and boys, due to the fact that each stage of childhood involves different risk factors. In general, the natural curiosity to explore the environment, the desire to challenge new rules and the approval or acceptance by peers are causes that contribute to the development of unintentional injuries in childhood.

This April 27th in Mexico is the National Day for the Prevention of Burns in Children and Adolescents (Día Nacional de la Prevención de quemaduras en niñas, niños y adolescentes).

In case of a burn, first go to the health center to be checked and do not self-medicate or apply home remedies, because the injury may worsen.

With the purpose of promoting and reinforcing the culture of prevention, every April 27 a social call is made nationwide for children and adolescents, as well as their mothers, fathers, caregivers and teachers, to become aware that burns are one of the main accidental causes of illness and mortality in childhood, being thermal burns due to contact with hot liquids the most frequent.