Between July 1, 1987 and June 30, 1990, 30 consecutive deliberately scalded children were studied prospectively. Purposes of the study were to characterize the scald-abused child and address the management problems specific to this group. Mean age was 22.5 months. Many had preburn growth retardation. Mean burn size was 18.1 per cent of the total body surface area and 37 per cent required a surgical procedure for their scald. All 30 children had burns on the buttocks. Four (13.3%) had other injuries. Eighty per cent of patients had at least one complication. In 30 per cent, diarrhea complicated nutrition support, wound, or autograft care. Four (13.3%) patients with a mean burn size of 32.3 per cent of the total body surface area, diarrhea, and burns involving the buttocks, perineum, and external genitalia died of burn wound sepsis; three of these had Gram-positive bacteremia (Staphylococcus aureus and enterococcus). Burn wounds exposed to the fecal stream (buttocks) should be examined carefully and frequently for signs of infection, particularly in those patients with diarrhea.