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A father is warning other parents after an online trend led his son to microwave a squishy toy, which exploded, giving him burns on his face and neck.
Richard Harri heard a “blood-curdling” screech yesterday when he was about to leave home.
Arriving in the next room, he found his8-year-old boy looking down and ”screaming as loud as I’ve ever heard him scream".
The scalding gel inside the item had burst on to his son’s face and neck.
“You can’t get the stuff off and it’s burning your skin while you’re trying to pull it off, it’s horrendous.”
“It feels normal, and then you squeeze it, and then the thing explodes.”
Harri said he wanted to warn other parents about the potential dangers of heating the toys and the trend.
A burn Richard Harri's son suffered after his squish toy exploded. Photo / Richard Harri
“Your kids go through all this pain, there’s nothing you can do.
“You just want to protect other kids and parents from going through what you’ve been through, like it was just horrendous.”
Incidents of the same thing happening have occurred around the world, with a 10-year-old girl in the United Kingdom suffering serious facial burns after participating in the trend this month, the BBC reported.
Cases have also been reported across the United States.
US toy company Schylling, which owns NeeDoh, a popular brand of squish toy, said it was “disappointed” by the misuse of its products becoming a viral trend.
Microwaving, heating, or freezing the toys “is dangerous and could cause injury to the consumer,” Schylling said in a statement to USA Today.
The toy Harri’s son used was unbranded and he did not know where it was purchased.
Aftermath and emergency department
Following the incident, Harri said he called the poison hotline and, on its advice, put his son in the shower for 10 minutes.
Harri then wrapped him in wet tea towels before taking him to Auckland City Hospital’s emergency department.
Richard Harri's son's squish toy, which exploded after being microwaved. Photo / Richard Harri
A 45-minute shower at the hospital followed, with staff then giving Harri’s son different drugs so he could deal with the pain.
“They had to peel some more of the skin off and pop a giant blister on his chin, and then they put Gladwrap on it and dressed the wounds.”
Harri’s son has a follow-up appointment this week, when they will learn how severe the burns are.
Official Advice
Netsafe chief online safety officer Sean Lyons told the Heraldparents of children with the toys and who may be consuming content suggesting they heat them should talk to them about the potential dangers.
Any potentially harmful content should also be reported to the social media platform it was posted on, Lyons said.
Consumer NZ said the viral trend was concerning.
Manufacturers should assess whether additional safety measures, such as clear warning labels, are required, it said.
“We also encourage parents and caregivers to supervise use of these toys and to talk with their children about their intended use.”
