As the weather in Pennsylvania grows colder, residents throughout the state pull out warm sweaters, blankets and space heaters to help stay warm. While warmer clothing and blankets generally do not present a great risk to those who use them, the same cannot be said for space heaters. While a very effective way to warm an area, the device can potentially cause great injury.

A Pittsburgh mother is all too aware of this. Early this week her 1-year-old son was injured when he came into contact with a space heater. The boy's mother had taken steps to protect her child by placing the heater on a dresser out of her son's reach. Despite this attempt, the boy was burned by the heater when he pulled on the cord while chasing the family pet, a cat.

The young boy was immediately taken to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for treatment of his burns. He sustained first degree burns to his chin and chest. He received second-degree burns on his lip and another part of his chest. Creams and antibiotics have been prescribed to treat the burns and he is said to be doing well.

Burn injuries can be serious and cause a lot of pain. In the worst cases, it may be necessary for treatment to span several years and permanent scarring may be left behind. Depending on the circumstances that caused the burn it may be possible for the injured person to recover compensation for a variety of things such as medical bills.

Source: wpxi.com, "Boy Suffers Burns From Space Heater," Oct. 25, 2011