The Dangers of Instant Soup: 1 in 5 Children Rushed to the ER Each Year
Updated: Nov 2, 2020
It’s easy to forget that microwaveable soup, such as ramen, contains scalding hot water.
Dr. Courtney Allen is a pediatric emergency fellow at Emory University. Allen says, “I think there’s an assumption that these (instant soups) are safer than soup coming out of a stove.”
Why Instant Soup Can Be Dangerous For Children
Instant soups cause “one in five childhood scald burns.” Researchers recorded more than 4,500 pediatric scald burns over an 11-year period. The findings came from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.
Allen’s study focused on children 4-12 years old. Researchers found:
972 injuries were from microwaveable soup. These burns made up 21.5% of all scald burns in their sample.
Instant soups were responsible for nearly 10,000 pediatric burns every year.
More than 90% of children admitted to the ER went home after evaluation. But, some did require additional hospitalization, surgery, and skin grafts.
Most burns affected the “trunk.” This is the bodily region from the shoulders to the groin.
Most injuries happened to children between 4-7 years old.
Injuries included first-, second-, and third-degree burns.
Burns from noodles caused longer hospital stays than burns from other types of soups. This is because noodles stay hotter longer.
