Dangerous TikTok Trend Causing Burn Injuries, Chicago Area Health Officials Warn

MAYWOOD, IL — A Plainfield boy recently suffered burns so severe that his eye swelled shut after microwaving a sensory toy — an increasingly common occurrence thanks to TikTok, medical officials say.

Whitney Grubb was getting her sons ready for school on Jan. 20 and went to the garage to warm up the car when she heard the microwave, but she assumed 9-year-old Caleb was just heating up breakfast, according to a news release from Loyola Medicine.

Then she heard screaming.

Caleb had microwaved a NeeDoh cube and when he opened the microwave, the toy — filled with gelatinous material — exploded on his face and hands, the news release said.

After trying to rinse the thick material off at home, Grubb took Caleb to the emergency room and he was transferred to Loyola Medicine’s Burn Center in Maywood, where he spent the night, according to the news release.

He has since returned home and been cleared to return to the fourth grade

“Unfortunately, Caleb’s is the fourth case we have seen this year with Needoh cubes,” Paula Petersen, a burn center advanced practice nurse, said in the news release. “These trends can be extremely dangerous for young people who are less likely to consider or unable to understand the serious consequences.”

There are many TikTok videos of people microwaving the toys to make them more pliable, according to the news release, although Caleb, who is not on social media, heard about the trend from a friend at school.

The Schylling toy company, which lists NeeDoh among its products, addressed the trend in a statement to Patch.

"Ensuring the safety of our consumers is fundamental for Schylling. We are disappointed to see there has been a trend on social media demonstrating misuse of our NeeDoh® products," the statement said, noting the toy's packaging includes a safety warning.

"Misusing a NeeDoh® product by microwaving, heating, or freezing is dangerous and could cause injury to the consumer. Schylling has partnered with social media companies such as TikTok to remove influential content containing NeeDoh® product misuse."

Thirty percent of Loyola’s Burn Center patients are children, according to Burn Outreach Coordinator Kelly McElligott.

“I think it’s everyday common things in the home that are burning these kids and we want to make sure that parents should be diligent about what’s in their house,” she said in the news release.