GIRL SUFFERS FACIAL BURNS AFTER MICROWAVING VIRAL SQUISHY TOY

A 10-year-old girl sustained severe burns to her face after heating a squishy Needoh toy in a microwave as part of a viral TikTok trend. Violet Zerbst placed the sensory toy in the microwave to soften it, but when she removed it and squeezed the toy, the heated contents burst onto her face. She reported experiencing significant pain and the sensation of her skin coming away from her face during the incident. Her mother immediately ran her daughter's head under cold water whilst her father called an ambulance.

Violet had believed that warming the toy would make it softer and more pliable. Her father acknowledged he had suggested that heating the toy might achieve this effect, though he stated he had not anticipated his daughter would attempt to do so. The incident occurred on a Sunday morning whilst her father was watching the FIFA World Cup. Medical professionals have subsequently issued warnings to parents about the dangers posed by microwaving such toys, emphasising the risks of burns and the importance of supervision.

Doctors have called for urgent action to alert families to hazards associated with heating stress-relief toys and the unpredictable manner in which their contents can behave when exposed to heat. The trend circulating on TikTok encourages children to microwave the toys, presenting a safety risk that health professionals have now publicly addressed. The incident has prompted medical professionals to urge parents to monitor children's use of viral trends and educate them about potential dangers linked to heating materials in microwave ovens.