In the baby/small child Rule of Nines, what percentage is allocated to an arm?

• A. 9%
• B. 10%
• C. 6%
• D. 13%

Answer: (B)

In babies and small children, the body’s proportions differ from adults, so the quick estimate used for burns assigns about ten percent of total body surface area to an arm. That makes an arm roughly ten percent TBSA in pediatric assessments, which is why ten percent is the best choice here. For more precision in children, clinicians use charts like Lund and Browder that adjust percentages based on age, but the pediatric rule of thumbs still place an arm at about ten percent. The other options don’t fit the typical pediatric approximation: nine percent is the adult figure, while six percent or thirteen percent are too low or too high for an arm in a baby.