UCI Health Study Warns of Critical Shortages in National Pediatric Burn Care and Disaster Preparedness

UCI Health researchers find significant gaps in US pediatric burn care, with fewer than 40 centers nationwide verified to treat complex injuries in children.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 21, 2026, 9:30 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from EurekAlert

A Systemic Vulnerability in Emergency Infrastructure

The United States medical system faces significant hurdles in providing specialized care for children during large-scale emergencies involving thermal injuries. According to a paper published in The Annals of Surgery Open, the current national network for burn treatment is unevenly distributed, suffering from inconsistent skill levels and resource scarcity. Dr. James C. Jeng, a trauma and burn surgeon at UCI Health, emphasizes that these gaps in everyday pediatric care must be corrected to ensure the nation can respond to potential disasters fueled by climate change or biological threats.

The Disparity in Specialized Pediatric Verification

While there are 75 programs verified by the American Burn Association, fewer than 40 of these facilities possess specific verification for pediatric care. This lack of specialized infrastructure means that many children are treated in acute care hospitals that may lack the age-specific resources required for complex recovery. The authors of the study argue that this limited availability of expert centers creates a geographical lottery for families, where access to life-saving pediatric burn specialists depends entirely on their proximity to a handful of verified institutions.

Distinct Biological Challenges of Young Patients

Medical experts stress that children require a fundamentally different approach to trauma than adults because their injuries directly impact their long-term physical growth and quality of life. Dr. Syed F. Saquib, Medical Director of the UCI Health Regional Burn Center, notes that children are not merely small adults and require family-centered care that follows them from the initial injury through years of development. Without specialized pediatric intervention, young survivors of severe burns may face permanent developmental setbacks that an adult patient would not encounter.