Mum accuses preschool of negligence after 11-month-old boy burns hands on hot surface

An 11-month-old was left with first and second-degree burns on his palms after he was allegedly allowed to crawl in an outdoor area at his preschool unsupervised. 

The infant's mother, Aresha Krishnan told AsiaOne on Thursday (March 28) that the incident occurred on March 18, at about 1.15pm. 

CCTV footage from the preschool, located in East Coast, showed that her son was left unsupervised and had crawled to the school's outdoor play area at the backyard, which was under direct sunlight. 

The staff in charge of the boy was busy cleaning the diaper changing table at that time, she said. 

He was likely burnt from touching the astroturf, or the surface of the slide, which was "scorching-hot", said Aresha in a Facebook post on Wednesday (March 27).

"The staff was negligent," she wrote. 

She told AsiaOne she received a WhatsApp message from one of the teachers informing her that the boy was injured that afternoon. 

"We were shocked and horrified as the pictures looked like he was burnt quite badly," said the 40-year-old who works in a tech company. 

She then rushed down to the preschool to bring her son to his pediatrician. 

"The burn on his right hand is more severe, so the bandages won't be removed so soon," she said.

"We're hoping that those on his left hand can be removed this Saturday."

Besides the physical injuries, Aresha added that her son has also been traumatised from the incident, and has been waking up in tears every night. 

In her post, she acknowledged the school's transparency in showing her the CCTV footage of the incident. 

They have also offered to pay for the boy's medical fees and 1-to-1 caregiving services to aid his recovery, said Aresha.

However, the mother of two has decided to withdraw her son from the preschool, and is currently looking to enroll him in another one. 

She declined to reveal the name of the preschool. 

Outdoor area also had other hazards

Despite the efforts of the preschool, Aresha wrote in her post that she eventually escalated the matter to the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), as she noticed that the school's outdoor play area had several safety hazards. 

She said that several items were stored in the play area, such as a laundry rack, paint cans and glue traps. 

"We had to escalate this to ECDA so that [the preschool] understands the severity and need for better safety regulations and inspections - especially with play area equipment, if that was indeed the source of the burns." 

EDCA investigating 

In response to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson for ECDA said that they are aware of the incident and have commenced their investigations. 

They have also instructed the preschool involved to ensure that staff exercise vigilance in their supervision and care of the infants.

"The safety and well-being of children in preschools is of utmost importance. ECDA takes a serious view of lapses that compromise child safety. Actions will be taken against the preschool operator and staff if there is evidence of negligence." 

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claudiatan@asiaone.com