Toddler Burned in Bathtub

[A Turtle Named Mack]

A toddler was hospitalized in serious condition after being burned in his family's southwest Atlanta apartment.

http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/todd...ub-150744.html

OMG, how horrible. What was s/he thinking in not making the toddler get to the far end of the tub!?

[musicgeek]

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

OMG, how horrible. What was s/he thinking in not making the toddler get to the far end of the tub!?

Far end, nothing. OUT of the tub. Even so, tricky - toddlers are squirmy!

[A Turtle Named Mack]

Originally Posted by musicgeek

Far end, nothing. OUT of the tub. Even so, tricky - toddlers are squirmy!

You're right - I have warmed my own tub this way and it is surprising how long it takes for the very hot water to mix with the cooler water.

[musicgeek]

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

You're right - I have warmed my own tub this way and it is surprising how long it takes for the very hot water to mix with the cooler water.

No kidding. I have absolutely no understanding of fluid dynamics, and so I'm always amazed that no matter how much I swish the water around, the "hot end" and "cold end" persist for so long.

[PallasAthena]

She accidentally poured boiling water on this kid? At 3 AM? How do you accidentally pour boiling water on someone?

Something doesn't jive here. Not even a little bit. I suspect the water pouring wasn't so much accidental as it was an accident that the injuries were as bad as they turned out to be.

"Accident" or not someone who is this negligent shouldn't be allowed contact with young children.

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by PallasAthena

She accidentally poured boiling water on this kid? At 3 AM? How do you accidentally pour boiling water on someone?

Little thing called fatigue or unintended carelessness maybe?

How do you accidentally kick your infant son in the face? I have. Let me know if you want to know how. I cried harder than he did.

[Mama Duck]

Originally Posted by PallasAthena

"Accident" or not someone who is this negligent shouldn't be allowed contact with young children.

First, there was having to bathe the kid at 3am which suggest long work hours. Then there was no hot water in the apartment to begin with. Add to that the fact that toddler skin is a lot more sensitive than adult skin, and you have what really, truly is a horrible accident. You want to hold someone ultimately accountable for this? Go after the landlord who allowed them to live with no hot water. It can jive very well.

[purpleiguana]

Originally Posted by Mama Duck

First, there was having to bathe the kid at 3am which suggest long work hours.

Or possibly a sick child who woke up in the wee hours and threw up all over themselves. A bath at 3am is not normal at all, but yeah, there are circumstances which require it.

Add to that the fact that toddler skin is a lot more sensitive than adult skin, and you have what really, truly is a horrible accident.

Um... sensitive nothing. If an adult gets boiling water poured directly onto their skin, they're going to get burned too.

You want to hold someone ultimately accountable for this? Go after the landlord who allowed them to live with no hot water. It can jive very well.

Yeah, it's a definite cause for complaint, but no one made anyone pour boiling water directly onto another living thing. Maybe it was an accident... although, as it was pointed out earlier, if you pour boiling water into a tub, anyone in the tub had best vacate. I might buy that it wasn't malicious, but it definitely seems negligent.

[PallasAthena]

Originally Posted by Eddylizard

Little thing called fatigue or unintended carelessness maybe?

How do you accidentally kick your infant son in the face? I have. Let me know if you want to know how. I cried harder than he did.

Or maybe wait until the next day to bathe the kid and not do it at 3 AM?

[Mama Duck]

Originally Posted by PallasAthena

Or maybe wait until the next day to bathe the kid and not do it at 3 AM?

What if you have to work, the kid just threw up all over itself? You can't always wait till the optimal time to do these things.

Originally Posted by purpleiguana

Um... sensitive nothing. If an adult gets boiling water poured directly onto their skin, they're going to get burned too.

My point was what it takes to burn a toddler is much less than what it takes to burn an adult. Also, I've accindently poured boiling water on my feet. I didn't require anything other than aloe.

[PallasAthena]

Ah, yeah, the whole puking angle flew right by me. That's definitley a reason for a 3 AM bath.

I still think, malicious or not, pouring water on another human being (or any living thing for that matter!) is really, really negligent.

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by PallasAthena

Or maybe wait until the next day to bathe the kid and not do it at 3 AM?

What Mama Duck said, and it isn't just the head end that unpleasant stuff comes out of. Also it does not always happen at a convenient time of day.

My limited experience is, that with a baby night - day makes no difference. You are pretty much knackered all the time for a couple of years.

[Mama Duck]

Originally Posted by PallasAthena

I still think, malicious or not, pouring water on another human being (or any living thing for that matter!) is really, really negligent.

I assume you mean boiling water. It can definitely be a sign of negligence. I wonder if this is more a sign of poor judgement though.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

Originally Posted by Mama Duck

Go after the landlord who allowed them to live with no hot water.

Southwest Atlanta is in the general area that was so totally hard-hit by the recent floods. My boss still has no water at all. The same could be true of this apartment complex. It's worth looking into before concluding the landlord is a culprit (would not eb the only one - there is still no good reason the child should have gotten boiling water on him).

On the other hand, we have had several apartment complexes in Atlanta proper that have had their water cut off because they were not paying their water bill. The bills have more than tripled due to system improvements to get rid of 'combined sewer overflow', which had been pouring raw sewage into the rivers when there were bad storms (100 year old system).

[franjava]

Originally Posted by Mama Duck

What if you have to work, the kid just threw up all over itself? You can't always wait till the optimal time to do these things.

Yup. I've given many a 2am wash off in the tub when babyjava was potty training. *sleepy*

[purpleiguana]

Originally Posted by Eddylizard

My limited experience is, that with a baby night - day makes no difference. You are pretty much knackered all the time for a couple of years.

Absolutely true. Point of fact, however, the child in the OP was three years old.