A mum has warned other parents about a “bizarre” kitchen hazard which has left her young child with burns to his skin.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday (26 June), 16-month-old Roman Woolhouse was having his nappy changed at his grandmother's house when he twisted himself free and ran through the kitchen and into the garden.
But the patio doors were closed, so little Roman couldn't get out and just stood there in the sunlight for a few seconds.
Suddenly the baby screamed, so Grandma rushed into the kitchen and picked him up, only to find that he had a large blister on the bottom of his foot and on one of his toes.
A mother issues emergency warning to parents after her young child is severely burned. (Kennedy News & Media)
She rinsed the burns with cold water, then rushed Roman to hospital, then called his mother, Melanie Kay, 39, to tell her what had happened.
Recalling the terrifying moment, Melanie, from Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire, said: “My mother-in-law has been looking after him all day and she is absolutely devastated.
“I never even thought about indoor floor tiles. It was so strange and unpredictable.”
“She knew the outdoor floors were very hot so he was playing in the garden with his shoes and socks on.
Melanie warned about the dangers of floor tiles. (Kennedy News & Media)
“Then she brought him inside and changed his diaper in the living room.”
She continued: “He wriggled away from her and ran down the hallway barefoot into the kitchen.”
“There was a small spot in the kitchen where the sun was shining on the black tiles and as soon as he got to that extremely hot spot he started screaming.
“It was very, very hot. Children and animals don't have the reflex to jump. In the sun the floor can get up to 80 degrees Celsius.”
“She picked him up right away and the blisters came up quickly. They were two-inch by two-inch blisters and he had blisters on his toes.”
The toddler was left with some pretty large blisters. (Kennedy News & Media)
Roman was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary in the East Riding of Yorkshire where doctors examined him and chose to pop and scrape off the two-inch-long blister, before applying antiseptic pads and bandages.
“The blisters popped and they had to scrape the blisters off, which was difficult because it was in a bad spot,” her mother continued. “Then they put a little pad with antiseptic on it and bandaged it up.
“Staff say this is on the rise as more people are opting for slate and glossy flooring as a trendy kitchen flooring material.”
“[They also mentioned] Bi-fold door [and that] “When you open the door, the sunlight comes in, and that's what happens a lot with adults, too. They really, really got it.”
Roman, who is limping, is scheduled to undergo medical tests in the coming days. (Kennedy News & Media)
Melanie is now urging other parents to be aware of the potential dangers.
“It's shocking,” she said. “You don't feel safe in your own home, so you never think something like this could happen.”
“A lot of other people were pretty shocked by it too, saying they'd never thought they'd have something so dangerous in their house. It's really creepy, right?”
“My message to parents is to be mindful of the dangers not only outdoors but also indoors in hot weather and take precautions such as covering windows with curtains or blinds,” she decided.
