A 9-year-old child suffered severe burns to his face and hands after participating in the "microwave challenge" that is popular on the TikTok app, becoming the fourth child this year to require treatment at the same burn center in Chicago, USA, due to similar games and challenges.
In statements to "People" magazine, Whitney Grob said her son Caleb Chapaula got the idea for the challenge after a conversation with a friend, deciding to heat a popular toy shaped like a cube known as "NeeDoh Nice Cube" in the microwave to make it softer.
She added that while she was in the garage checking her car, she heard her son scream and discovered that the flammable material in the toy had exploded on his face and hands.
The mother noted that she tried to wash off the flammable material from her son’s body, but it was unsuccessful, and he was taken to the emergency department before being transferred to the Loyola Medicine burn center. The child also received specialized care for his eyes, which were completely swollen, but he did not lose his vision and is currently recovering at home.
Paula Petersen, a nurse at the burn center, mentioned that Caleb was very lucky not to have sustained more severe injuries, highlighting the danger of these challenges to children who may not realize the serious consequences.
She added that Caleb is the fourth child to enter the center this year after being injured by burns resulting from similar challenges or games on social media.
Kelly McKelligot, burn center outreach coordinator, emphasized that the flammable material of the toy is sticky and remains hot for a long time, increasing the severity of burns, and warned against heating these toys in any way, whether in the microwave or hot water, as they could cause serious burns.
The official sites of the toy also warn against heating or freezing it or putting it in the microwave, while the TikTok platform affirms that its rules prohibit the posting of any content that encourages dangerous activities, noting that 99.8% of such videos were proactively removed in the third quarter of last year and more than 97% of them within 24 hours of posting.
