A young boy suffered life-threatening injuries after a hot water bottle split.

In December 2021, Freddie - then aged 10 – was taken to the major trauma centre at Southampton General Hospital after suffering serious burns.

The youngster was in the back of the car going to watch his sister play football.

He had a hot water bottle, filled partially with cold water, on his lap to keep him warm.

The bottle suddenly split and he was rushed home by his parents and put in a cool bath.

Freddie was then taken to Southampton General Hospital before he was transferred to the Salisbury specialist burns service.

He sustained a 15 per cent burn to his thighs, abdomen and hands.

Two weeks after the injury, Freddie became unwell with a high temperature and his parents were told that his burn injury was life-threatening, and he needed skin grafts.

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Freddie’s dad Pete has since warned of the dangers of using hot water bottles.

He said: “It was so difficult seeing Freddie go through the treatment that was needed; surgery, dressing changes, a urinary catheter and a feeding tube in his nose to increase his calorie intake.

“I want to emphasise the dangers of using a hot water bottle and raise awareness of how serious a burn injury from a hot water bottle can be.

“The impact of a burn injury cannot be underestimated, and I want parents to know the damage that can be caused by hot water – a burn injury is for life.”

Data from the International Burn Injury Database (iBID), covering England and Wales, shows there were 99 burn injuries from hot water bottles treated in major burns departments in the first six months of 2023.

This is an increase from 68 injuries in the same period in 2022.

Burns and scalds to adults and the elderly from hot water bottles also rose by about a fifth.

Ken Dunn, vice chair of the Children’s Burns Trust, which released the figures with the British Burn Association, said: “The significant increase we have seen of injuries from hot water bottles to children is alarming and as the colder months of the year approach – coupled with the ongoing cost of living – we’re urging families to avoid using hot water bottles for children.

“If you do use them at all in the home, you should remember two key pieces of information about how to use them safely.

"Never fill them with boiling water and always check the rubber flower symbol found on the neck which shows which month and year the hot water bottle was made.

“Any bottle older than two years old should be replaced.

“By raising awareness of the risk posed by hot water bottles and educating people on the safest way to use them – as well as the correct first aid should an injury occur – we can help to reduce the number and resultant scarring of these devastating injuries.”