School holidays have led to a spike in children suffering scalding burns from instant noodles, prompting a warning from a major NSW hospital.

Five children have been referred to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in the last week after sustaining scald burns from instant noodles.

Another five were treated for the same mishap earlier in October.

The hospital said the most common injuries were burns to the thighs or genital area, caused by children accidentally spilling the boiling liquid on themselves while carrying the container or eating from their lap.

Toddlers have also suffered burns caused by pulling the container down from the kitchen bench or table when left to cool.

It can take less than a second for spilled instant noodles to cause a severe burn, the head of the hospital’s burns unit Torey Lawrence said.

“Boiling water in hot noodle containers can take an hour to cool down to a safe temperature after cooking,” Dr Lawrence added.

“This means accidents like spilling the hot water from instant noodles can cause long-lasting injuries and life-long scarring for children.

“It is important to remember hot food and drink that may be a good temperature for an adult can cause a significant burn to a child.”

Children’s skin is comparatively thinner than adults and even a small amount of hot liquid can cause deeper, more extensive, and more severe burns.

Close adult supervision is the best way to prevent children burning themselves from hot food and drink, Dr Lawrence said.

“Simple measures such as always having an adult remove the container from the microwave, draining the hot water from the noodles before serving, ensuring children eat noodles at the table instead of on their lap, and using non-stick placemats can make a huge difference,” she said.

If a child does suffer a burn, cool running water is the only proven, effective treatment and first aid is vital to reducing the injury’s severity.

By Callum Godde in Melbourne