A 10-year-old girl sustained severe burns to her face after imitating a popular TikTok trend that advises children to place soft squishy toys in the microwave. The incident resulted in extensive burns and blisters on her face, prompting doctors to issue a critical warning to parents regarding burns, microwave safety, and supervision. The young girl, named Violet, shared that she had placed the stress-relieving toy in the microwave to make it softer, unaware of the potential danger of heating it, leading to it becoming extremely hot and unstable.
Upon removing the toy from the microwave, Violet noticed liquid at the bottom, and when she squeezed it, the hot contents splattered onto her face, causing immense pain and skin damage. Her father, who was engrossed in watching the FIFA World Cup at the time, had suggested that heating the toy would make it more pliable, feeling remorseful for inadvertently encouraging the hazardous action. He swiftly called for medical assistance while his wife applied cold water to alleviate their daughter’s pain.
Similar incidents involving heated squishy toys have been reported globally, with children in Australia, the US, and the UK experiencing burns under comparable circumstances. Health professionals emphasized the importance of avoiding placing toys in microwaves and recommended immediate first aid treatment for burns, such as running the affected area under cool water for at least 20 minutes while cautioning against using ice on the burns, as it could exacerbate the injury.
The Needoh toy, manufactured by Schylling, includes a warning on its packaging advising against heating, freezing, or microwaving the toy due to the risk of personal injury. Comparable incidents have occurred in various countries, with children suffering severe burns from exploding squishy toys. The trend has caused second and third-degree burns, with children like Caleb from the US and Bella from the UK experiencing traumatic injuries after following the trend.
Experts highlighted the dangers of misusing household appliances and emphasized the need for parental guidance to address online trends that could lead to serious consequences. Violet, fortunately, is recovering well without lasting eye damage or scarring from the burns. Organizations like the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents emphasized the importance of educating children about the risks associated with copying online trends and reiterated that microwaves are not toys.