Luton girl severely burned by a cup of coffee fully recovers

Alayla with her family six months after she sustained her burns in August 2023

A baby girl whose face and head were severely burned after she reached for a cup of coffee has fully recovered.

Alayla, from Luton, was injured the day after her first birthday last summer.

The 18-month-old was treated at St Andrew's Burns Service at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, Essex.

Her mother has been involved in a social media campaign led by Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which aims to help parents keep their children safe from hurting themselves.

The NHS trust said that when Alayla reached for the hot drink, she was left with "7% mixed-depth scald burns".

Her mother, Simona Belcheva, 23, said: "Although it felt like it got worse before it got better, I couldn't have wished for a better care for my child for her recovery journey.

"Every single member of staff was so lovely, passionate and caring in everything they did."

Ms Belcheva has now "childproofed" her home and wants to help other families keep their "children safe from burns", the trust added.

Sue Boasman said St Andrew's Burns Service was where "people with a significant burn injury can get specialist intensive care"

Sue Boasman, an advanced nurse practitioner at the St Andrew's Burns Service, helped care for Alayla.

"Burns can happen to anyone and the correct first aid can make the difference between a minor burn and a serious injury."

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Ms Boasman added that the best action was to immediately place the affected area under cool running water for at least 20 minutes, cover the area with Cling Film, and call for help.

"Avoid using ice or very cold water, as it can make the burn deeper and make the patient vary cold."

She also advised to remove any clothing, as it can "hold the heat".

Treating burns with toothpaste, egg whites and other home remedies was not advised, she added.