Pediatric ER Doc Warns Parents About Hose Water Burns

On a hot summer day, there’s nothing better than cooling off by jumping in a pool—or, when no pool is available, getting sprayed by a sprinkler or garden hose. And while hoses have been providing kids with hot-weather entertainment for generations, there is one danger to keep in mind—and a pediatric emergency room doctor took to TikTok to warn parents about it.

Dr. Free N. Hess is known for her child safety videos online. This one from 2018, which has been making the rounds yet again, shows a baby in the ER with severe burns, and she’s warning parents that the cause of those burns is surprising: a garden hose.

Many parents are doing what they can to keep their kids cool right now. Please be mindful of how easily burns like this can happen! #childsafety #burn #burnsurvivor #summer #safety #summersafety #pediatrician #pedimom

“A type of burn that we see in the pediatric ER all the time is burns from the water in the hose outside,” she explains. “This particular baby sustained significant burns when his mom picked up the hose outside thinking she was going to cool him off in the summer and [the water] was super, super hot.”

Dr. Hess said this type of burn is “super preventable, but something that most of us don’t think about very often.” She explained in her video that water in a hose that’s sitting outside in direct sunlight can reach temperatures of 130-140 degrees, which is hot enough to burn a child. In some places, especially where extreme temperatures can happen, the water can get even hotter than that.

To prevent burns, simply let the water run for a few minutes so any sitting hot water gets flushed out. Then, the hose will be safe for kids to play with.

She added, “If you are going to use your hose outside, make sure that you let the water out away from any children and pets, away from the pools you might be filling, and please make sure that it’s turned completely off so that your kids don’t accidentally pick it up and spray it on themselves or each other.”

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