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My child has a burn or scald - the first five minutes matter

Emergency numbers: 108 ambulance · 112 national emergency · Poison centre (AIIMS, 24x7): 1800-116-117

Quick answer: Hold the burn under cool running water right away - about 5 minutes, long enough to cool the skin and ease the pain. Never use ice, and never put toothpaste, butter, oil or any home remedy on a burn. Go to the ER now for any burn that is white, charred or painless; any electric or chemical burn; any burn on the face, hands, mouth or genitals; or any burn bigger than your child's palm.

🟢 GREEN - You can usually watch at home when

  • The burn is small, only red (like a mild sunburn), and your child is otherwise fine.
  • Cool the area under cool running water, then leave it uncovered or loosely covered with a clean, non-fluffy cloth. Do not apply ointments unless your paediatrician has advised one.

🟡 YELLOW - Call your paediatrician today if

  • The burn is more than just red - blisters are forming, or it is on a joint.
  • Redness and pain continue for more than a few hours after cooling.
  • Over the next days you see more redness, swelling, a bad smell or any discharge - signs of infection.

🔴 RED - Go to the emergency room NOW (call 108 if severe) if

  • The burn looks white, brown or charred, or is painless - a painless deep burn is the most serious kind.
  • It is an electric burn (from a wire, socket or appliance) or a chemical burn - these always need immediate medical attention, even when they look small. Also see our guide on electric shock.
  • The burn is on the face, hands, mouth, feet or genitals, or goes around a limb.
  • It is larger than your child's palm, or your child breathed in smoke or hot air.
  • Your child is drowsy, cold, pale or not themselves after the burn.

🆘 SOS - What to do while you get help

  • Cool the burn with cool running water, then cover it loosely with a clean cloth or cling film laid gently on top - do not wrap tight.
  • If clothing is smouldering, cool it with water and remove it - but if cloth is stuck to the burn, cut around it and leave the stuck part for the doctors.
  • Take off rings, bangles and tight clothing near the burn before swelling starts.
  • Keep your child warm otherwise - a child who is badly burned gets cold fast.
  • Do not give food or drink if the burn may need anaesthesia.

❌ DO NOT

  • Do not use ice or iced water - it delays healing and can damage the skin further.
  • Do not apply toothpaste, butter, ghee, oil, turmeric, egg white or any home remedy - all of these make the injury worse.
  • Do not break blisters - this invites infection.
  • Do not rub the burn.
  • Do not pull off clothing that is stuck to the burn.

What is happening and why

A burn keeps damaging the skin even after the heat source is gone - cooling with running water stops that process and eases pain, which is why it comes before everything else. Ice sounds logical but injures already-damaged skin, and home remedies trap heat and infection.

Doctors grade burns by depth: red and painful is usually superficial and heals at home; blistered needs a doctor's care plan; white, brown or painless means the burn has gone through the full thickness of the skin and always needs hospital care. Most childhood scalds come from hot drinks, kitchen vessels and hot tap water - keeping hot liquids away from table edges and setting the geyser so tap water is not scalding hot prevents most of them.

This page is for first-aid education and does not replace examination by a doctor. In an emergency, call 108 or 112.

Sources (last checked 13 Sep 2026)

Approved for publication by Dr Anjana Alekhya, MD (Paediatrics) · Based only on AAP/IAP guidance · Published 13 September 2026