A 7-year-old girl was hospitalized at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center after suffering second-degree chemical burns from a squishy toy she received at a summer camp.
According to Hadassah, the girl initially returned home with what appeared to be mild redness on her hands and legs after the toy ruptured, releasing a gel-like substance onto her skin. Over the next two days, the redness worsened, white discoloration appeared, and large blisters developed, prompting her parents to rush her to the emergency room.
Doctors diagnosed first- and second-degree chemical burns to her hands and legs. She was treated with pain medication before undergoing debridement under sedation by the hospital’s burn unit, where the damaged skin was cleaned, treated, and bandaged.
Dr. Leah Serna Cahan, a senior pediatric emergency physician at Hadassah Ein Kerem, urged parents and educators to act immediately if the substance from a similar toy comes into contact with a child’s skin.
“If the material touches the skin, it should be removed immediately and the affected area washed thoroughly with running water for several minutes,” she said. “If redness persists, severe pain develops, blisters form, a large area is affected, or the eyes are involved, medical attention should be sought immediately.”
The girl’s mother stressed that the toy had not been heated in a microwave, unlike other reported incidents involving similar products. She said the toy had been purchased from a store in Israel that supplies toys to schools and daycare programs.
Doctors said they had not previously encountered chemical burns caused by this type of toy and expressed hope that the girl’s second-degree burns would heal without permanent scarring. She is expected to continue receiving follow-up care at Hadassah’s burn clinic.
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