Home / Disasters and Accidents / Microwave Squishy Toy Trend Explodes, Injuring Children
Microwave Squishy Toy Trend Explodes, Injuring Children
29 Jun
Summary
- Six children treated for severe burns from heated squishy toys.
- Injuries include surgery and skin grafts due to exploding toys.
- Trend seen online involves microwaving toys to make them softer.
Several children in western Scotland have sustained serious burns due to a dangerous trend of microwaving squishy toys. The Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow reported treating six children for injuries linked to this trend over the last eight months. The toys can explode when heated, releasing hot gel that adheres to skin, causing severe burns.
Two children, 11-year-old Scarlet Rowe from Irvine and eight-year-old Joseph Erskine from Clackmannanshire, are among those affected. Scarlet suffered burns to her face and eyelid in May, while Joseph required extensive treatment and a skin graft after a toy burst on his chest and hand. His mother noted he had seen the trend online and accidentally activated a microwave that had been pre-set.
Burns specialists highlight that the gel inside these toys can remain extremely hot and stick to skin, prolonging the burn. Sharon Ramsay, a burns nurse at the RHC, emphasized the preventable nature of these injuries and urged parents to discuss the risks with their children, as some injuries can result in permanent scarring and require long-term rehabilitation.
