The high temperature steam of household appliances slows the reflex action of burn and aggravates the condition of infants.

　Electric rice cookers, electric kettles, steam humidifiers and so on, due to the continuous occurrence of infant burns caused by steam household appliances, the National Life Center draws attention. There was also an accident that was so burned that a skin transplant was needed.

　At least 57 cases of burns in children aged 0 to 3 years caused by steam from household appliances were received in the five years to June, the center said. "A 1-year-old and 2-month-old boy put his hands on the steam outlet of an electric rice cooker and burned his fingers in hospital for 24 days."A 1-year-old boy burned his hands after touching a steam humidifier and underwent skin transplantation." Of these, 39 required treatment in medical institutions.

　A survey by the center shows that the steam outlet temperature of rice cookers and electric kettles is 99 degrees Celsius, and it is also 78 degrees Celsius above 10 centimeters. In a steam humidifier that uses a heater to heat water and emit steam, the temperature of the steam outlet is 72 degrees.

In order to reduce the risk of accidents

　In order to prevent accidents, some household appliances have the function of reducing the temperature and quantity of steam. In such a model, the temperature of the steam outlet is about 30-40 degrees. The person in charge of the center believes that "burn accidents occur a lot in models that do not have countermeasure functions."

　In a questionnaire survey conducted by the center on 5,000 parents with 5-year-old children, about 10% of the parents replied that "infants and young children are scalded / about to be scalded." About 40% do not imagine the burns of infants and young children caused by steam generated by household appliances.

　In order to prevent accidents, it is important to put home appliances in a very high position or set up fences to prevent children from getting close to where home appliances are located. In the questionnaire survey, the setting of household appliances was asked, and it was found that burns of infants and young children tended to be difficult to occur in families set more than 90 cm from the floor. However, there has also been an accident in which infants and young children pull the power cord to make household appliances fall and burn, so we need to pay attention to it.

　Infants and young children reflex more slowly than adults when exposed to hot steam, so burns are prone to serious injuries, the center said. There are also cases of "children crying with their hands on the steam mouth".

　The person in charge said: "We hope you will realize that high-temperature steam can sometimes cause serious burns. When buying household appliances, you should consider some things that show countermeasure functions, such as'no steam 'and' steam cutting'." (Julia Maeda)