Dumpling squishies come with dangerous warning after children seriously injured
Parents are being issued an urgent warning after a dangerous trend with popular 'squishy' toys has caused serious injuries in children.
Children have been placing the squishy toys in the microwave to warm them up, in an attempt to make them even softer.
It has caused the liquid inside to heat up and for the exterior to melt, leading to the squishy toy bursting or popping and badly burning kids.
According to Metro, The Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) in Glasgow has treated six children in the past eight months following injuries from the toys.
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Some youngsters have even been left needing skin grafts, after being burned so badly by the hot liquid, and this is just the latest safety warning about the viral toys.
One injured child was an eight-year-old boy, who will now have to avoid the direct sun for years while he heals from his burn, which happened in 'seconds'.
Joseph Erskine, from Clackmannanshire, underwent a skin graft after sustaining serious burns across his chest and hand from a toy.
His mother Stephanie Ewing recalled how her son came in, clutching a towel to his face, trying to wipe off the gel.
He was telling them it had 'burnt him' and they thought initially he meant a chemical burn, until he told them he'd put it in the microwave.
"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," she explained.
"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," and before they knew it, the damage was done.
She added: "Joseph’s burn wouldn’t heal on its own and required a graft, where skin was taken from his thigh and applied to his chest," and he is now having to refrain from his beloved sports and activities while he heals.
He will also have to avoid direct sunlight to the graft area for two years.
Another injured child is 11-year-old Scarlet Rowe from North Ayrshire, who sustained burns to her face and eyelid in a similar accident.
Concerned mum, Gina, also didn't realise what had happened.
"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.
Burn experts have warned about the dangers because the gel can reach extreme temperatures, and due to the texture of it, it can get stuck to the skin, worsening the burn.
Sharon Ramsay is a burns nurse at the RHC, and said they are seeing 'a growing number of children with preventable injuries linked to this trend.'
She warned the stickiness of the gel makes it hard to remove, causing deep burns.
"These injuries can be very serious and may require long-term treatment, including surgery and rehabilitation," she added.
"In some cases, children are left with permanent scarring. We strongly urge parents and carers to speak to their children about the risks."
It comes after a counterfeit brand of squishy dumpling was also recalled due to cancer risk fears after it was found to contain far higher than average levels of
Jen Thomas