A MUM claims “half her nipple peeled off”;; after scalding hot formula “exploded”;; on her chest.
Leona Downie says she was preparing five-month-old Arlo Minles’ on April 30 with the same MAM Baby bottle she’d used since he was born.
The 18-year-old claims she waited 15 minutes for to cool down in the kettle before pouring it into the bottle and adding milk formula.
But she says that when she shook the bottle to mix the milk, it burst open at both ends and the hot contents .
Leona says she immediately began to scream and jumped into a cold shower to ease the burning sensation, which felt like she was “continuously being stabbed”;;.
She rushed to Victoria Hospital A&E, where she was told she had suffered second-degree burns from the hot milk solution.
Horrifying photos show the mum-of-one’s left breast bright red where the scalding formula burnt her.
After having the dead skin removed from her 11cm-long burn site, a nurse dressed her wound and discharged her from hospital.
Leona claims the milk explosion “peeled”;; half her nipple off and that she’s now unable to wear low-cut tops in public as she thinks the scarring looks “ugly”;;.
The full-time carer is speaking out about her burns to warn other parents.
MAM Baby – the maker of the the bottle – say they’re “very concerned”;; by Leona’s injuries and are investigating.
Leona, from Blackpool, , said: “I boiled the kettle and left the water in for a little bit. The kettle was only half full.
“I poured the water into the baby’s bottle after about 10 to 15 minutes [and added the milk formula] and then began shaking it.
“I then remember hearing a bang and both the top and the bottom [of the bottle] blew off. It exploded.
“All the hot milk went all over me. My whole body started burning and I thought I was going to die.
“The burn was on the whole of my left boob. All the skin started peeling off straight away.
“It was red and very sore. I screamed and burst out crying.
“I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was horrible and felt like I was continuously being stabbed.
“It was a . I was worried it was going to scar for life.
“It peeled half of my nipple off so I haven’t really got a nipple. This was from the burn.
“The burn site was 11cm long and 5cm wide and this covered my nipple.
“I won’t wear low cut tops anymore [due to my scar] as it’s quite ugly.”;;
The MAM Baby instruction manual says “cooling time of at least 20 minutes is suggested by MAM for the boiled water to cool enough to be used for making up a bottle, however depending on the volume, the water still may be very hot after this time and you must be careful to avoid scalding”;;.
Leona said she had prepared Arlo’s feeds in this bottle since he was born on December 6 last year.
Leona said: “It’s not a new bottle. I have had them for five months and used them since Arlo’s birth.
“I use bottles like this every night and it’s the first time it has happened.
“I use this bottle up to three times a day and I always make sure the top and bottom are screwed on properly, as they both come off.”;;
Following her scalding, Leona says she has emailed a complaint to MAM Baby and is now using a different bottle brand to feed Arlo with.
Leona said: “The pain only stopped a couple of days ago. My skin is really tight so I hardly move my arm and it’s just scarred.
“Mums need to be careful. These bottles are supposed to be safe for mums to be using around the baby and they obviously aren’t.
“This bottle is meant for hot milk to go in. Your kettle water has to be 70 degrees to kill the in the formula.
“I let the kettle water cool down for 15 minutes before putting it in the bottle to make sure it was safe for my baby and safe to shake as well.”;;
