Ramen noodles are a popular snack or meal for children, and they're quick to make and affordable for families. They also, however, pose a serious burn risk.Whether it's on the stove or in the microwave, you can have cooked, ready-to-eat noodles in just minutes. Instant Ramen can be a quick and easy meal, but it can also be dangerous.>> Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here."It takes less than half a second at that temperature to create a third-degree burn," nurse Denni Wilson, the OU Health Trauma burn coordinator, said.She told KOCO 5 that over the years, OU Health has seen a significant number of children coming to the emergency room with Ramen noodle burns."Here at Oklahoma Children's Hospital, out of the 228 burns in just a couple of years, 86 were from Ramen noodles," Wilson said.In a microwave, Wilson says water can reach more than 300 degrees, which is above the boiling point. So, when a young child is taking the soup out of the microwave, a spill is all it takes for a trip to the emergency room."What we see is kids that are using the microwave by themselves and, usually, the microwaves are hotter than they normally are in a house," Wilson said. "And they're reaching up to pull them out, and they're hotter than they expect them to be."After seeing the numbers, Wilson developed the Ramen Noodle Program to spread awareness."Since 2021 when we launched this, to date, I've given out over 16,500 Ramen noodle packages, and we have gone from 38% of our total burns being Ramen noodles to now 11%," Wilson said. Most patients were middle school children or older, but kids as young as 18 months will sometimes knock a bowl off a counter and burn themselves.>> Download the KOCO 5 App"Our burns that are showing up for Ramen are deep, partial thickness burns. So, they are technically equivalent to a grease burn," Wilson said.Anyone who experiences any type of burn should remove any clothing or jewelry near the affected area and then run it under cool water to stop the burning process."You need to seek medical attention if you notice blisters," Wilson said.To enjoy noodles safely, Wilson recommends boiling water in a tea kettle, pouring it into a bowl with the noodles and then leaving it alone to cool. Top Headlines Body of Chickasha firefighter who died in Jamaica returns to Oklahoma Person in custody after fires spark at business and nearby home in northwest Oklahoma City Massive crowds of 'Swifties' gather, sing together in Vienna after Taylor Swift concerts canceled Shots fired prompts heavy police presence in northeast Oklahoma City neighborhood Deadline looming for 2025 summer food program