Physicians are sounding the alarm about a dangerous social media trend involving NeeDoh that has kids being rushed to the hospital for scalding burns.
Kids are heating up the sensory toy, even though it's not designed to be, which can cause the dough-like glob to burst or melt. In one recent case, a 4-year-old girl suffered burns to the legs, arms, and face after the squishy toy was microwaved.
"I started hearing about these injuries earlier this year," said emergency physician Leah Middelberg, MD, of Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus.
Microwaving or heating the products makes the gel inside "extremely hot," Middelberg told MedPage Today. "Hot enough to boil, leak, explode, and cause burns on contact with skin."
While she hasn't personally cared for kids with injuries from the viral trend, Middelberg said that children with burns often experience significant pain and need extensive medical follow-ups to ensure they heal well.
