Rhianna Benson
Six children have been treated for permanent injuries at a UK hospital in the last eight months following mishaps while playing a popular squishy toy.
Staff at the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) in Glasgow say a number of victims were forced to undergo skin grafts after sustaining serious burns caused by their new playthings.
In each case, the child had placed the toy into the microwave for several seconds to heat it up, which built up pressure inside it.
The toys subsequently exploded after being squeezed, releasing scalding gel onto the youngsters, which stuck to the skin, causing severe burns.
Advert
Joseph Erskine, an eight-year-old boy from Clackmannanshire, was treated for several weeks when the toy burst across his chest and hand last month.
"My husband and I were home," his mother, Stephanie Ewing, told PA. "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."
She added: "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."
Doctors told Stephanie that Joseph's burns would heal on their own before performing a skin graft, taking skin from his thigh and applying it 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," she continued.
According to Stephanie, Joseph had observed the trend online.
Such was also the case for Scarlet Rowe from Irvine in North Ayrshire, who suffered similar burns to her face and eyelid last month.
Her mother, Gina, also told press: "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."
She added: "These toys are very popular and easy to buy, but we had no idea about the risks. We had only bought them that day."
Now, along with numerous medical experts, Stephanie and Gina are urging parents to monitor their children when they play with viral squishy toys.
RHC burns nurse, Sharon Ramsay, claimed her team have observed a 'growing number' of kids with 'preventable injuries linked to this trend'.
"When these toys are heated, the contents can explode and stick to the skin, causing deep burns," she 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."