Each year, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) treats up to 400 new cases of children with burn injuries annually, a figure that has remained consistent over the past five years. To provide children with burn injuries in Singapore with faster and more integrated care, KKH has launched Singapore’s first dedicated paediatric Burn Centre.
The new national paediatric burn unit will allow for increased capacity and have innovative features and streamlined processes to shorten treatment times while strengthening infection control measures.
Paediatric Burn Injuries in Singapore
According to KKH, infants and toddlers aged 2 and below are the most vulnerable group when it comes to burn cases. They account for half the burn cases in Singapore.
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Children aged 5 to 10 are another high-risk group, making up around 17 per cent of the cases.
In 2024, the top three causes of burn injuries in children, which are all preventable, were:
- Scalds (hot water, soups, and beverages, etc.): 71 percent
- Contact burns (irons, hair curlers, pot covers, oven doors, etc.): 19 percent
- Friction burns (treadmills and road traffic accidents): 5 percent
KKH Burn Centre
The KKH Burn Centre takes a holistic approach to caring for children with burn injuries.
This includes consultation rooms connected to treatment rooms to ensure seamless care and to enhance infection control and emergency response.
Another feature is the specialised shower bed that enables single-location treatment for wound cleaning and drying under general anaesthesia. This eliminates the need to move young burn patients between rooms.
There is also a dedicated procedure room, designed for burn cases.
The KKH Burn Centre is located next to the newly revamped Children’s Intensive Care Unit (CICU) for rapid access to critical care in emergencies. It is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of plastic surgeons, nurses, and allied health professionals.
Caring for Paediatric Patients
KKH also a ChildKind-certified institution, the first hospital outside North America to receive this international recognition for paediatric pain management. Therefore, the new KKH Burn Centre is guided by the principle that every touchpoint should be as comfortable, pain-free, and stress-free as possible for paediatric patients and their caregivers.
The Burn Centre’s environment reflects this child-friendly philosophy, featuring playful, brightly-coloured interiors designed to comfort and soothe anxiety from the moment the child arrives.
The Centre also incorporates Child Life, Art and Music Therapy Programmes (CHAMPS) into its care model.
Through specialised intervention play techniques, therapists help young patients, and their families cope with the challenges of burn treatment and hospitalisation, reducing stress and anxiety throughout their medical journey.
Meeting the Unique Needs of Children with Burn Injuries
“In the critical first hours after a child sustains a burn, fast and effective treatment can mean the difference between life and death – and it profoundly shapes their long-term recovery and development. Children are not small adults. They experience pain more intensely, have underdeveloped coping skills and often have great difficulty understanding what is happening to them. That’s why early, specialised care is so crucial. Our new facility is purpose-built to meet their unique needs, significantly improving both the physical healing and the mental resilience of our little ones,” said Dr Gale Lim, Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, KKH.
Adding on, Dr Lim said, “The pain of a burn injury can be excruciating for a child and deeply distressing for the caregivers. By prioritising comfort and emotional well-being throughout their care journey, we help children respond more positively to procedures to accelerate and optimise their healing.”
