TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 3, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Feb. 6-12 is Burn Awareness Week, and during this week, Shriners Hospitals for Children® will kick-off a year-long campaign focused on preventing burn injuries at home, "Safety Begins at Home." Information and materials pertaining to the campaign can be found on the health care system's website dedicated to burn awareness and prevention, .
"At Shriners Hospitals for Children® , preventing burn injuries through education is an ongoing effort, and we use Burn Awareness Week as a starting point each year," said Peter Armstrong, M.D., chief medical officer at Shriners Hospitals for Children®. "This year, we feel it is very important to raise awareness of the number of burn injuries to children that occur in their own homes that could possibly have been prevented by implementing and following some basic precautions."
For example, 95 percent of scald burns, which are caused by hot liquids, steam or foods, occur in the home. Scalds are the most common burn injury among young children and the leading cause of accidental death in the home for children under age 4. U.S. hospitals treat an estimated 16,000 children under 5 for scalds every year. In addition, more than 60 percent of residential fires that cause the death of a child occur in homes without smoke detectors.
Shriners Hospitals for Children® encourages firefighters, teachers, parents, caregivers and other members of the community to participate in the year-long campaign by visiting for important burn prevention tips and information on how to order free materials, including stickers, brochures and posters.
Media Contact:
Fabiana Lowe, Shriners Hospitals for Children®, (813) 281-7164, filowe@shrinenet.org
About Shriners Hospitals for Children®
Shriners Hospitals for Children® is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to age 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients' ability to pay.
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