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Hot! Heiss! Caliente!

My father has accused me of turning these posts into a bit of a confessional booth. But isn’t that the point? Yes, I’m a pediatrician. But I’m also human and I don’t know everything. Everyday is a learning experience. For all of us. Eva develops separation anxiety, I learn how to go to a public restroom while holding an infant. But every now and then, I make a misstep. Mostly because I either over or under-estimating their abilities. Like when I assume that they won’t put their foot in their poopy diaper. Or this morning, when I set my coffee cup on one side of the room and set my seemingly immobile child on the other.

I have not figured out how Eva gets around since she refuses to roll or crawl. She does seem to travel the room, although I had never seen her move with much speed. In a matter of seconds she somehow beamed herself to the coffee cup and had her hand on it before I could even find enough breath to scream. Fortunately, I drink my coffee “luke-hot,” and, although she was startled by the slightly uncomfortable warmth, she was completely uninjured. I, however, was rather shaken. That is the end of coffee on the floor. I’ve learned my lesson. Eva seemed to have learned hers too, because when I picked up the cup to take a sip of what was left, she looked up at me. I offered her the bottom of the mug to feel how warm it was and she pulled both hands back and wouldn’t come near it.
So let this be a public declaration that I will now be doing exactly as I say and not as I did. Be very careful with hot drinks and bowls of soup around little ones. Turn all pot handles inward on the stove. And if a mistake happens, do what I was prepared to do, which is grab her up and run to the sink to douse the injury in cold water until the skin has completely cooled (usually several minutes). Burns on the hands, feet, face and genitals need to see a doctor. Babies with burns that cover any significant amount of skin, are blistering or have turned white or black should likely also be seen.  I don’t have time here to do a full first aid course on burns (I think there is a book out there that has it though!) so if in doubt, call your doctor. Or start drinking Iced Lattes like me.

Dr. Lara Zibners, Jul 15, 2010

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