By India McCarty
One mom raised awareness about a dangerous TikTok trend that left her son hospitalized with severe burns.
“On TikTok, a viral trend has encouraged users to freeze and then microwave the NeeDoh Nice Cube to change its texture,” Parents reported.
The toy, a squishy rubber cube, is intended to be squeezed. This TikTok trend encourages users to heat the toy up to make it more pliable. However, it can lead to extremely dangerous injuries.
Caleb Chabolla, 9, was hospitalized with severe burns after taking part in the trend. The NeeDoh Nice Cube exploded in his face, causing swelling but, luckily, no permanent damage.
Scarlett Selby, 7, wasn’t so lucky. She suffered severe burns after the microwaved toy exploded and was even put in a medically-induced coma to recover.
Related: Deadly TikTok Trends Spark Lawsuits, Possible Bans
She survived, but her mother told PEOPLE she now has “such profound scars that stick up off of her skin.”
Consumer Reports has urged the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to investigate the NeeDoh Nice Cube following these tragic accidents.
“These gel squeeze toys are really popular,” Gabe Knight, the senior safety policy analyst for Consumer Reports, told Parents. “The reports of children suffering chemical burns underscore the urgent need for the CPSC to investigate these toys generally, and ensure that manufacturers are not selling products that contain hazardous chemicals.”
A representative for Schylling, the manufacturer of NeeDoh, provided a statement to PEOPLE, saying, “Ensuring the safety of our consumers is fundamental for Schylling. We were disappointed to see there had been a trend on social media demonstrating product misuse of our NeeDoh® brand. Misusing a NeeDoh product by microwaving, heating, or freezing is dangerous and may cause injury.”
The statement added that Schylling has “partnered” with social media platforms like TikTok to “remove influential content” that promotes misusing their products in any way.
“Additionally, Schylling has added a product warning to NeeDoh packaging and our website to help combat product misuse,” the statement continued. “Schylling has made the Consumer Product Safety Commission aware and will continue to cooperate with them.”
Chabolla’s mother, Whitney Grubb, urged parents to have conversations with their children about why participating in this trend is so dangerous.
“Just talk with your kids, make sure they understand the safety of the things,” she told CBS News.
It’s important to stay aware of what your children are looking at online, and to have frank conversations with them about the dangers that can come from misusing a product like the NeeDoh Nice Cube.
Read Next: TikTok Trend Leaves Four Dead
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