Kids Get Third-Degree Burns While Making A Popular DIY Craft 'Homemade Slime'

By Samantha in Health and Fitness On 31st July 2018
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#1 DIY Arts And Craft Ideas, New Popular Trend Among Kids These Days

DIY arts and crafts is something that has gained a lot of popularity on social media and has been especially popular among young kids. A lot of online websites and bloggers have put up videos of DIY crafts on the internet and with their interesting artwork and creativity, these ideas have become super popular among the young generation these days. One specific crafts thing that has taken the younger kids by storm is making 'homemade slime,' with all those colorful gooey substances, the kids are automatically attracted to it.

#2 Beware! These Fun Videos Could Be Hazardous For Your Child

While the process of making these squishy homemade slimes looks all fun in videos but in reality, it is extremely dangerous and if not taken care of it can cause serious burns on your child. For the purpose of creating awareness, the parents all over the world are now raising their voice to speak against these DIY videos for the safety of kids.

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#3 Kathleen Suffered Serious Chemical Burns While Preparing Slime

Last year even a case of reporting of a kid named Kathleen Quinn, whose story went viral after the 11-year old suffered from third-degree burns while making homemade slime at a sleepover party. The kid from Rockland, Massachusetts, had been using Elmer's glue and sodium borate to make her own homemade slime, all was going well until Katherine's hands started to feel hot and tingly. Katherine immediately started to cry out in pain and when her hands were observed, they were covered completely in blisters. Her parents immediately rushed her to the hospital, they were told that their daughter suffered severe chemical burns on her hands due to the exposure to borax, an important ingredient of slime.

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#4 More And More Parents Are Raising Their Voices To Create Awareness

Consumer Reports chief scientific officer James Dickerson talking to media outlet said, "It’s [borax] a material that is known to be an irritant to the eyes and to the breathing passages and nasal cavities, respiratory tracts. And it can be an irritant to the skin."

Unfortunately, Kathleen's isn't the only child who has suffered from the chemical burns as in the past year more and more parents are speaking up about these incidents.

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#5 Deejay Suffered From Severe Burns And Was Immediately Referred To A Plastic Surgeon

Deejay Jemmett from Prestwich, Manchester, UK, is another child who suffered chemical burns after playing with homemade slime containing borax. Deejay's mom says, "She is an avid YouTuber and came to ask if she could make some slime. Within 48 hours, her skin had started to peel off. From there it got worse." Deejay's burns got so severe that the girl was immediately referred to the Wythenshaw Hospital’s burn unit to see a plastic surgeon.

#6 Contact Lens Solution Contains Borate Compounds

Although more and more parents are speaking up about these incidents, recently another case was reported where a 6-year old Riley Godfrey spent three days in the hospital after playing with a batch of slime made by his kindergarten teacher. The teacher prepared the slime following an online recipe which used contact lenses solution that is known for containing borate components. The distressed mom says, "I could have lost my son."

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#7 Making Slime Is A Real Craze With Kids These Days, Says One Parent

Another kid Layla Fisher suffered similar injuries like Riley while preparing slime from contact lens solution. The girl's mom said, "It’s a real craze with kids that age,” said her mother. They play about with it, stick their fingers in it, pull it around and then put it in a container. She had open sores on her hands and the skin was just peeling off her fingers. It was horrible. A small patch had spread to her face and arm. It was then we were told she had impetigo."

James Dickerson says borax is something that should be kept far away from the reach of kids and should be used by adults only when it is required, "It’s something that should be used solely for its intended purpose as a cleaner or a laundry booster, not as something for children, particularly, young children, to play around with in making things like slime."