It’s a recipe for disaster having children prepare instant noodles without adult supervision, according to a study from the University of Chicago.
Researchers looked at data from nearly 800 pediatric patients admitted to the hospital with scald injuries between 2010 and 2020, and found that about one-third of those cases — 31% — were caused by instant noodles.
“Anecdotally, it felt like every other child we were consulted on for a burn was injured by instant noodles, so we wanted to dive into the data,” said the study’s lead author, Sebastian Vrouwe.
The study identified common patterns, including accidental spills when removing containers from the microwave, and spills while eating due to the narrow bases of some instant noodle cups.
One of the goals of the study was to educate children and parents.
“Our hope is to develop the groundwork for future burn prevention programming, as essentially all childhood burns are in some way preventable,” said Vrouwe.
Vrouwe said another goal was to raise awareness for doctors who talk directly to families. An estimated 100,000 children in the United States each year suffer scald burns from food and beverages alone, researchers said.
“Lowering hot water heaters to 120 degrees Fahrenheit is one established way to prevent burns in the home,” said Vrouwe. “If these reminders come from a trusted source, such as a child’s pediatrician, we feel this might change behaviors over time and reduce the probability of sustaining burns.”
In terms of preventing noodle burns, Vrouwe said an adult should be the one to remove instant noodles from the microwave and keep the foot out of reach until it cools down.
Eating at a table as opposed to on a lap is also a good idea, he said.
“We were surprised the sheer magnitude of the problem, which confirmed that focused effort and awareness on these types of burns could have a significant impact in the communities that our burn center serves,” said Vrouwe.
The study was published in the journal Burns.
