Laptop heat exposure linked to skin damage in pediatric case

Medical professionals at University Leicester Hospitals have highlighted the risks of placing laptops directly on the body, following a case involving a young boy in the UK. The patient presented with a 15 cm brown, net-like skin discoloration on his upper right abdomen, which was initially mistaken for bruising and required a CT scan to rule out internal injury.

Doctors Mara Znagoveanu and Edward Artley identified the condition as erythema ab igne, a skin injury caused by prolonged exposure to low-level heat. The child had been using a charging laptop on his abdomen for up to eight hours a day for home learning. Unlike typical burns, this condition develops from heat levels that are not high enough to cause immediate pain, making the risk difficult for users to notice during extended use.

While erythema ab igne is commonly observed on the thighs of adults, medical literature indicates a growing risk for children. A 2023 review documented 32 cases of similar injuries in children related to laptop use.