Shriners Children’s is sounding the alarm on a dangerous social media trend involving a popular stress-relief toy.
DAYTON, OH, UNITED STATES, February 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Shriners Children’s is sounding the alarm on a dangerous social media trend involving a popular stress-relief toy after treating young patients at multiple locations across the country with severe burn injuries.
Posts and videos promoting the heating of stress toys have been viewed by millions online, with some videos generating more than 2 million views. The trend encourages children to put the toy into the microwave to make it more malleable. Doctors at Shriners Children’s warn that heating these gel-filled toys can cause them to rupture or explode, releasing extremely hot contents that can cause serious burns.
Shriners Children’s has verified pediatric burn centers in Boston, Northern California, Texas and Ohio. All four locations have seen patients coming in because of this new trend within the last few weeks. Shriners Children’s Ohio burn surgeon Dr. Alice Fagin said she treated two young patients within the past week who came in with burns on their faces after the toy exploded when they removed it from the microwave.
“The biggest message we want to get out to kids and parents is that these toys were not meant to be heated and you’re playing a dangerous game if you try. They may not explode every time, but when they do, the result can cause a painful and life-changing injury,” said Dr. Fagin. “What makes this trend particularly dangerous is that it can reach extremely high temperatures in the microwave very quickly. The hot gel inside is sticky and can adhere to the skin, causing deeper, more severe burns. Even 15 seconds in a microwave can raise the temperature to more than 200°F. This is not a defect or failure of the product, but the result of a toy being used in a way it was never intended to be used.”
A parent of one of the young teens who received second-degree burns after trying this trend said she wants to make other parents and children aware of the risks. She said her daughter put her stress-relief toy in the microwave for about five seconds. The toy exploded as she tried to remove it, resulting in severe burns on her face.
“Seeing my own daughter badly burned after doing a TikTok trend has broken my heart,” said Kristy, mother of the patient. “She did what most teens and children see online and didn’t think there would be any harm. Please talk to your kids about not copying things they see online. I’m sharing this so no other family has to go through something like this. We are lucky and very blessed that my daughter’s injuries were not worse than they are. And we are so thankful to the physicians at Shriners Children’s for their quick care of my daughter.”
Doctors suggest alternative ways to warm up the toy, including running it under warm water and using your hands to make it more pliable.
“Unfortunately, we know these trends gain popularity quickly because this is a toy that is very popular with kids, and the social media content can often spread online faster than we can get the word out about the dangers,” said Dr. Fagin. “But we always encourage kids and parents to talk about what they are seeing online and be careful about trying new trends and challenges because they aren’t always as harmless as they may seem.”
If your child receives a scald burn:
• Remove the child from the hot liquid immediately
• Remove any clothing at the site of injury
• Cool the injury with cool tap water
• Do not put ice on a burn
• Seek medical attention and call 911 if necessary. Once the injury has been assessed in an emergency setting, seek care at a healthcare facility with pediatric burn care expertise.
About Shriners Children’s
Shriners Children’s improves the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, conducting innovative research, and offering outstanding education programs for medical professionals. Children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care, regardless of the families’ ability to pay or insurance status, and receive all care and services in a compassionate, family-centered environment. For more information, please visit shrinerschildrens.org. To learn more, go to www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/pediatric-care/burn-care.
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