A seven-year-old girl from Telford was rushed to hospital with severe blisters after a squishy toy burst open and spilled its liquid contents onto her hand, her mother has claimed. The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of the popular toys, which have been linked to burns when heated in microwaves.
Mother Insists Toy Was Not Microwaved
René Barnard, 46, said her daughter Livi had been playing with the £12.99 NeeDoh toy at the kitchen table on June 22 when the seal failed and the liquid inside spilt onto her hand. Despite immediately running her hand under cold water, blisters began to form, prompting René to call 111. She was advised to take Livi to Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.
“She came in from school on Monday and it was on the kitchen side. She loves this NeeDoh,” René explained. “We came in and I was cooking dinner in the kitchen and pottering around by the sink and she was at the kitchen table and she was like 'mum, the liquid's come out and it's burnt my hand.'”
Blisters Required Medical Treatment
René said she initially thought the toy was non-toxic after Googling it, but when Livi’s pain worsened, she knew something was wrong. “She is a tough tomboy seven-year-old so when she said it started to really hurt I knew something was wrong,” she added.
At the hospital, staff took pictures and sent them to Birmingham Children's Hospital for guidance. Livi’s wounds were dressed and she was discharged, but she had to return the following day to have her blisters removed, which required gas and air. She now attends doctors daily for dressing changes.
Distributor Investigates Incident
Bigjigs Toys, the exclusive UK distributor for NeeDoh, which is made by US firm Schylling, said it was investigating the incident. A spokesperson said: “We take all issues like this very seriously but we are aware of a number of fake products on the market so we have to determine if this was a real NeeDoh.”
René urged parents to be cautious, especially with young children. “All the kids are playing with them at the moment. But if this was a toddler it could have been really serious - thankfully Livi's nine-year-old brother is not interested in the toys,” she said.
