Medical experts are raising alarms about a dangerous trend where children heat soft, squeezable toys, often called 'squishies,' in microwaves, leading to severe burns. The Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow has treated six young patients for injuries related to this trend in the past eight months, with some cases necessitating surgical intervention, including skin grafts.
Online videos show the toys being heated to make them more pliable. However, this process can cause pressure to build inside the toy, leading to an explosion. The hot gel released from the toy can then stick to the skin, causing significant burns.
Eight-year-old Joseph Erskine from Clackmannanshire required weeks of treatment and a skin graft after a toy he microwaved burst, burning his chest and hand. His mother, Stephanie Ewing, recounted how Joseph, who had never used a microwave before, simply pressed start after she had heated something earlier. The toy's contents spread across his chest and hand, burning his skin.
"We were shocked as it had never crossed our minds that he would do that with a toy," Ewing said. "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."
Joseph's burn was severe enough that it did not heal on its own and required a skin graft taken from his thigh. The incident has put his active lifestyle, which includes participation in six clubs per week, on hold until he recovers. He must also avoid direct sunlight on the grafted area for two years.
Another incident involved 11-year-old Scarlet Rowe, who suffered burns to her face and eyelid after heating a squishy toy she had received. Her mother, Gina, described the substance initially looking like slime on her daughter's face, only realizing it was burning her skin after a few minutes. The swelling was significant, and the burn was close to Scarlet's eye.
Burns specialists note that the gel inside these toys can remain extremely hot for extended periods and adhere to the skin, exacerbating the burns. Sharon Ramsay, a burns nurse at the Royal Hospital for Children, stated that a growing number of preventable injuries are being seen. "When these toys are heated, the contents can explode and stick to the skin, causing deep burns," Ramsay explained. "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 from such burns can take weeks or months and often requires ongoing care, including dressings, physiotherapy, and scar management. The Scottish National Burns Centre, hosted within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, is involved in treating these injuries.