22 February 2024 , 21:35
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A toddler ended up needing a skin graft after he picked up his mum's hair straighteners when she turned her back "for a split second".
Billy Miller was left with third-degree burns after grabbing hold of his mum Debbie's styling device in March 2021. The youngster - then 14 months old - was left with a blistered right hand and needed months of treatment.
Now Debbie is warning other parents of the dangers of heated tongs. She said: "I have never felt panic and fear like it. As a parent, I only wish two things: firstly, that the straighteners were out of his reach so this hadn’t happened at all, and secondly that it never happens to any other child."
Mum-of-four Debbie said she was getting ready at her home in Barton, Lancashire when the accident happened. While she was doing her hair, she turned her back "for a split second" and Billy had grabbed a hold of her hair straighteners that were still turned on.
Billy Miller was left with third-degree burns (Electrical Safety First / SWNS)
He was just 14 months old at the time (Electrical Safety First / SWNS)She rushed him to the bathroom to run his hand under cold water, at which point he started to cry. She then took him to hospital, where she was told Billy’s burn was deep and they needed to go to the Burns and Plastics unit at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
And while Billy was young enough not to remember the incident, Debbie says the thought of what happened still haunts her to this day. Recalling the ordeal, Debbie said: "I turned my back for a split second, and turned back to see Billy holding onto my hair straighteners.
"He didn’t make a sound and stood very still and silent with his eyes wide, I grabbed the straightener out of his hand, scooped him up and ran into the bathroom to put his hand under the cold tap.
They needed to go to the Burns and Plastics unit at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (Electrical Safety First / SWNS)"At this point the realisation kicked in and Billy started to cry. I have never felt panic and fear like it. [When I was told] He had third-degree burns and would need a skin graft, that was when guilt crept in - although it didn’t really creep, it hit me like a wave and it has never left me since."
Luckily, after 18 months of treatment, Billy was signed off from the specialist burns unit in November 2023. But the effects of his injuries are long-lasting. He is likely to have scars for the foreseeable future and needs to apply factor 50 sun cream on his hand all year round.
Debbie is hoping other parents will take her warning on board (Electrical Safety First / SWNS)
Billy was signed off from the specialist burns unit in November 2023 (Electrical Safety First / SWNS)Debbie is hoping other parents will take her warning on board after the Children’s Burns Trust charity reported a surge in burns caused by hair straighteners in children. Figures show burn and scalds to children from hair straighteners in the first six months of 2023 increased by 20% compared with the same period the previous year.
Ken Dunn, a retired plastic surgeon and vice chairman of the charity, said: "The increase in hair straightener burns among children is deeply troubling.
"These injuries are entirely preventable, and it is crucial that parents and caregivers are aware of the risks associated with these devices. Simple steps, such as using heat-resistant pouches and ensuring proper storage, can make a significant difference in protecting our children from these accidents."