Doctors warn heated squishy toys are causing severe burns and lengthy recoveries.
A growing social media trend involving soft squishy toys has led to a number of children suffering painful burn injuries after trying a dangerous experiment at home. Medical staff are asking families to talk with children about the risks after several young patients needed hospital care when the toys burst open after being heated in a microwave. The toys, known for their soft texture and stretchy feel, have become extremely popular with the younger crowd, and unfortunately, online videos continue to encourage kids to place them in a microwave to make them feel even softer. While the idea may seem harmless, doctors say the heat creates pressure inside the toy that can cause it to break up. If it breaks open, the hot gel inside can spray onto the skin, causing serious burns.
Doctors at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow have treated six children during the past eight months after accidents involving heated squishy toys. Some of the injuries were so severe that surgery was needed, including skin grafts to repair damaged areas. This trend is especially dangerous given the age of many squishy toy owners. Oftentimes, microwaves include buttons that automatically heat contents for a certain number of minutes, i.e., one minute, five minutes. These options are easily selected by pressing a single button. Another risk is removing contents from the microwave before the time is up and not hitting the reset button for following uses. In some of the squishy toy burn cases, more than thirty seconds remained, and very young children needed only to press start without checking how they were heating up their toys.
Because squishy goop is sticky, it can easily attach to the skin and continue to burn a child until the individual is able to rub this off with soap and water. Burn specialists say these injuries, therefore, are often far worse than many people would expect. The hot gel inside also the toys holds heat for a long time, meaning it could take several minutes to return to its baseline temperature and be safe enough to handle. If the burn is significant enough to damage deep layers of the skin, grafting and surgery may be needed for it to heal.
Nurses caring for burn patients are warning families the number of injuries linked to this trend has been steadily rising. Many of those patients already affected face months of treatment, with regular dressing changes, physical therapy, and care to reduce permanent scars. Recovery can be slow, and in some cases, lifelong scarring could occur.
Medical staff hope these injuries can be prevented through simple conversations at home. The healthcare community is encouraging parents to pay close attention to the online videos their children are accessing. Having conversations about safety ahead of time can prevent serious injuries. By explaining why certain internet challenges are unsafe and keeping toys away from microwaves, parents and other caregivers may help prevent painful injuries that can leave lasting physical and emotional effects. It is unclear whether manufacturers of these toys will one day be required to place warnings regarding potential dangers on their product labels.
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