A viral challenge on TikTok has led to several children in the U.S. state of Illinois suffering serious burns at home, prompting doctors to urgently warn of the dangers of imitating such videos.
According to medical reports, a 9-year-old boy named Caleb Chapola suffered second-degree burns to his face and hands after heating a children's toy called NeeDoh in a microwave, following a trend he saw on the platform.
The NeeDoh is a stress ball filled with a gel-like substance. The boy tried to warm it up to make it softer, but the ball exploded under pressure, scattering the hot material on his face and hands, necessitating his urgent transfer to a specialized burn treatment center.
The child underwent surgery to remove damaged tissue amid close medical monitoring. The incident was described as serious and could have led to more severe complications.
Doctors at the hospital that treated the case confirmed they have treated at least four other children for similar injuries, all linked to the same TikTok challenge.
Doctors emphasized the need for parents to monitor their children's use of social media, warning that some trends can pose significant risks, especially those involving electrical appliances or flammable materials.
Specialists also urged parents to educate children about the dangers of unsafe experiments and not to follow viral videos without understanding their serious health consequences.
