Nine-year-old burns himself after learning of TikTok trend involving popular sensory toy

On the morning of January 20, Whitney Grubb of Plainfield was getting her two sons ready for school. As she went to the garage to warm her car, she heard the microwave start. She assumed it was her 9-year-old son, Caleb, warming up his breakfast, which he occasionally does himself. 

After hearing what she described as a blood-curdling scream, she knew something was wrong. Caleb had microwaved a Needoh cube, a popular sensory toy used by adults and kids. As Caleb opened the microwave, the cube, filled with gelatinous material, exploded on his face and hands. 

There are many TikTok videos of people microwaving these toys to make them more pliable. Caleb, who is not on social media, heard from a friend at school and decided to try it, unaware of the risks. "When I asked him what happened, he told me that a friend at school told him about putting it in the microwave,” said Whitney. “It wasn’t anything malicious; it was just kids sharing stories, and unfortunately, he decided to try it.”

Scalding liquids are the most common cause of burn-related pediatric injuries each year

After finding Caleb in the kitchen, Whitney tried to rinse the material off in the shower, but Caleb was in so much pain, and the material was so thick that she decided to take him to the local emergency room. The physician there contacted Loyola Medicine’s Burn Center for assistance before Caleb was transferred for treatment. 

Caleb spent the night at the burn center receiving treatment. Due to the proximity to his eye, which was swollen shut from the burn, Caleb was also seen by an ophthalmologist. Thankfully, his vision was unimpaired by the accident. Caleb has returned home, where Whitney has been caring for his burns. 

Loyola’s burn center provides support and resources for pediatric burn trauma

As a regional and national leader in burn, trauma and emergency care, Loyola is committed to reducing pediatric burn injuries. 

“Unfortunately, Caleb’s is the fourth case we have seen this year with Needoh cubes,” said Paula Petersen, APN, a burn center advanced practice nurse. “Caleb is very lucky he didn’t sustain greater injuries. These trends can be extremely dangerous for young people who are less likely to consider or unable to understand the serious consequences.” 

"We see the negative results of TikTok challenges all the time, said Kelly McElligott, LCSW, Loyola’s burn outreach coordinator. “Whether it’s these toys, that clearly have a label that say, ‘don’t heat,’ but kids aren’t going to read labels. Or it’s ramen noodles coming out of the microwave that kids spill on themselves, or little kids pulling hot coffee off the counter. These are injuries we see every year at the burn center. Thirty percent of our patients are pediatric patients. 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.”

After a follow-up appointment, Caleb was given approval to return to his fourth-grade class, where his mother says he is a social butterfly.