First specialised burn centre for kids provides stress-free treatment

New KKH unit prioritises comfort, children's emotional well-being to hasten healing

- Judith Tan Correspondent

Singapore's first specialised burn centre for children officially opened on Oct 23 at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), offering fast, integrated treatment that is stressand pain-free.

The centre is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of plastic surgeons, nurses and allied health professionals, providing full care ranging from acute treatment to rehabilitation.

Located on the second floor of the hospital's Children's Tower, the centre is part of KKH's ongoing efforts to enhance and expand its services and infrastructure so that it can adapt to future needs.

Every year, KKH treats up to 400 new cases of children with burn injuries, and this figure has remained consistent over the last five years.

Infants and toddlers, aged two years and below, are the most vulnerable, accounting for half of the cases. Children aged five to 10 make up 17 per cent of the cases.

In 2024, the top three causes of burn injuries in children were scalds from hot water and soups (71 per cent); contact burns from irons, hair curlers, pot covers and oven doors (19 per cent); and friction burns from treadmills and road traffic accidents (5 per cent).

One such patient was seven-year-old Julius Lim. While attempting to pour hot water from a vacuum flask, he accidentally spilled the 90 deg C water on his chest, causing his skin to blister and peel.