An Idaho father poured scalding water on his month-old baby son because he was cold, causing widespread burns, authorities said.
Christopher Stum told police he poured the hot water to warm the child up while bathing, according to court documents. The boy suffered second-degree burns to 25 percent of his body and was rushed to the emergency room.
Stum described how his son’s skin had quickly begun to turn red and even started peeling, before the pair left the home.
The extensive nature of Stum’s son’s injuries suggests that the youngster could have been exposed to water as hot as 130-150 degrees Fahrenheit, East Idaho News reports.
The 34-year-old was arrested on January 22 after being interviewed by police at the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Centre.
The single father said he had tried “air drying” his baby before collecting searingly hot liquid in a pitcher and dousing his son with it, say court records seen by the outlet.
Stum initially told police he had tested the water before pouring it onto his baby and thought it was hot but not painfully so, the records say.
He would later admit that he had found the water to be scalding and that he had lied to avoid appearing to be negligent, according to cops.
The father is also said to have admitted to adjusting the water heater to 121 degrees Fahrenheit before racing to the hospital, following a police investigation of his home.
Stum was charged with two felony counts, one of which was injury to a child. The other was destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence. He is due in court for a preliminary hearing on February 11, court records say.
The Independent has contacted the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
The Mayo Clinic states newborns should be washed around three times a week with water around 100 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature.
The clinic also advises that around two inches of water should be used and that a baby should never be left alone in a tub.
