One beautiful summer day, a local mom took her two-year old daughter Ariadne to the playground to enjoy a relaxing afternoon.
After her daughter went down the slide, she complained that her hands hurt, but her mom didn’t know why.
But in just a matter of hours, the toddler’s hands began to turn red and blister, and a quick call to the nurse revealed a shocking diagnosis.
The toddler had suffered from sweltering second-degree burns, simply from going down a plastic slide.
KPVI reported:
“When Ariadne’s mom called a nurse, even she was in shock.
“She was very surprised when we talked about the burns and whether or not I needed to bring her in right away,” said Stephanie Luker, the mother of the child who was burned. “When I told her it was a plastic slide, she was very, very surprised. I don’t think any of us had heard of that happening before.”
As the second-degree burns revealed, many parents simply weren’t aware of the serious danger plastic sides could cause.
Some parents let their children swing on plastic swings or slide down the slides without checking the temperature of the plastic first.
It’s important for parents to not solely rely on the temperature outside to determine if the plastic is hot, but instead test it firsthand.
Surprisingly, there have been cases of second-degree burns with temperatures as low as 74 degrees.
PopSugar reported:
“According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, it doesn’t even need to be hot out for a child to be burned from a plastic playground. It notes that one child received a second-degree burn while playing on a plastic slide when it was just 74 degrees out. “CPSC is aware of nearly 30 thermal burn incidents from 2001-2008. Of those incidents, 10 were associated with plastic, rubber, or other nonmetal surfaces, and seven were associated with metal surfaces,” a CPSC fact sheet notes.
CPSC officials also warn that children who are 2 years old and younger are at a greater risk for burns because their skin is more delicate and they don’t always stay away from the source of pain. “Unlike the reflex that happens when a child touches a very hot surface with their hand, a young child who is sitting or standing on the hot surface may scream from the pain of burning, but they may not know to move from the location that is burning them,” the sheet explained.”
While plastic can be dangerous, you can still take your child to the playground and enjoy the equipment, if you take a few precautions.
First, touch the plastic slide yourself. If it’s scalding hot, don’t let your children on it.
If you’re looking to use the swing, consider placing a towel down first.
Of course, be sure to keep your child hydrated throughout the day and lather their skin with sunscreen.
By taking a few precautions, your child can enjoy the playground fun without the second-degree burns.
Were you surprised to learn plastic playground equipment could cause second-degree burns?
What are some precautions you take in the summertime while playing outside with your children?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.