Medical professionals are issuing urgent warnings about a popular sensory toy, the NeeDoh Nice Cube, following multiple incidents where children have sustained severe burns. The toy, a squishy stress ball filled with a gel substance, has been involved in a dangerous social media challenge where individuals attempt to heat it to make it softer, leading to life-altering injuries.
Manufacturers explicitly advise against heating, freezing, or microwaving the NeeDoh toys, citing the potential for personal injury. However, a viral trend encourages users to disregard these warnings. The Nice Cube's filling is sugar-based and expands rapidly when heated, increasing internal pressure and potentially causing the toy to explode.
Reports detail instances of children suffering horrific burns. In one case, a seven-year-old girl in Missouri allegedly experienced third-degree burns to her face and chest after microwaving the toy. Her father reported hearing a "blood-curdling scream" and found his daughter covered in the toy's scalding substance. She was hospitalized for a week and placed in a medically induced coma due to concerns about her airways swelling. Doctors opted against immediate skin grafts, but the child may require them in the future due to significant scarring.
Another incident involved a nine-year-old boy in Illinois who sustained severe burns to his face and hands after microwaving his NeeDoh Nice Cube. His mother stated that her son was influenced by a friend at school who shared information about microwaving the toy. He spent two days in the hospital, and while skin grafts were not needed, the possibility of scarring remains.
Pediatric emergency physicians emphasize that children are particularly vulnerable to severe burns due to their thinner skin, which allows heat to penetrate more rapidly and deeply than in adults. Even brief contact with a heated substance can cause substantial tissue damage.
Experts believe the core issue lies within the social media environment, which prompts children to experiment with dangerous activities against explicit product safety instructions. While social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube state they prohibit content promoting dangerous behavior, the challenge continues to circulate.
Toy manufacturer Schylling Toys reiterates its warning on its website: "Do NOT heat, freeze, or microwave, may cause personal injury." The company has been contacted for comment.