Device Heat Risks

Doctors warn parents as toasted skin syndrome cases surge among children using laptops.

Parents have been warned that toasted skin syndrome (EAI), a reaction caused by resting electronic devices on bare skin, is on the rise in children, according to doctors from the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. The rash, caused by long-term exposure to low level heat, is usually found in adults who use water bottles or heated pads, but is becoming more common among youngsters who use electronic devices. A pre-teen boy was diagnosed with EAI after resting his laptop on his stomach for up to eight hours a day, usually while it was charging. Early recognition of these cases can help children avoid unnecessary tests and misdiagnoses, according medics. Dr Mara Znagoveanu, of the University Hospital of Leicester, said that the increasing use of electronic devices, particularly during home schooling, may be an under-recognised cause of EAI in paediatric populations.