Doctors are issuing urgent warnings about a dangerous online trend involving microwaving “squishy” toys, after several children sustained severe burns.
Videos circulating widely online depict these soft, squeezable toys being heated to enhance their pliability. However, experts warn that this causes internal pressure to build within the squishy, significantly increasing the risk of it exploding. The hot gel released can then stick to skin, leading to serious injuries.
The Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) in Glasgow has treated six children for injuries related to this trend over the past eight months, with some requiring surgery, including skin grafts. Eight-year-old Joseph Erskine, from Clackmannanshire, was among those injured, needing weeks of treatment and a skin graft after a toy burst across his chest and hand in May.
His mother Stephanie Ewing said: “My husband and I were home. We were sitting in the living room next door when Joseph came in holding a towel to his face.
“He had already wiped off the burning gel which had also taken off his skin. He was saying that his squishy burnt him and we initially thought he meant a chemical burn. Then he told us that he had put it in the microwave.
“We were shocked as it had never crossed our minds that he would do that with a toy. He has never used the microwave before.
“One of us had heated something earlier and so the clock was already set at 40 seconds. Joseph just hit start.
“It was that quick and easy for him.”
open image in galleryShe said Joseph had seen the trend online and she urged parents to chat about it with their children and discourage them from doing something similar.
She added: “Joseph’s burn wouldn’t heal on its own and required a graft, where skin was taken from his thigh and applied to his chest.
“He is normally such an active and sporty child with six clubs per week, but all of that is on hold until he heals.”
Her son must now avoid direct sunlight to the graft area for two years, which she said will be “tricky over the summer months”.
open image in galleryAnother young patient, 11-year-old Scarlet Rowe from Irvine in North Ayrshire, was treated for burns to her face and eyelid after a similar incident in May soon after she received a squishy toy.
Her mother Gina said: “We didn’t realise what had happened at first, it just looked like slime on her face. It was only after a few minutes we realised it had been heated and was burning her skin.
“The swelling was so bad that we weren’t sure what the outcome would be.
“Thankfully, no graft was required but it is so close to her eye that this could have been a lot worse.
“These toys are very popular and easy to buy, but we had no idea about the risks. We had only bought them that day.
“I’d strongly advise parents to be vigilant and check what children are watching and trying online.”
Burns specialists said injuries caused by heated squishy toys can be particularly severe because the gel inside can remain extremely hot and get stuck to the skin, prolonging the burn.
open image in gallerySharon Ramsay, a burns nurse at the RHC, said: “Unfortunately, we are seeing a growing number of children with preventable injuries linked to this trend.
“When these toys are heated, the contents can explode and stick to the skin, causing deep burns.
“These injuries can be very serious and may require long-term treatment, including surgery and rehabilitation.
“In some cases, children are left with permanent scarring. We strongly urge parents and carers to speak to their children about the risks.”
Healing and recovery from burns can take weeks or months and children who suffer them often need ongoing care including dressings, physiotherapy and scar management.
The Scottish National Burns Centre is hosted within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.