7-year-old Missouri girl left in coma with severe burns after NeeDoh toy explodes during TikTok challenge

Summary

A 7-year-old Missouri girl, Scarlett Selby, was left in a coma with severe burns after a squishy toy called NeeDoh exploded during a TikTok challenge. Scarlett froze the toy overnight and then microwaved it, causing it to erupt with molten goo that burned her face, chest, and mouth. Her parents rushed her to St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where she was placed in an induced coma for three days due to concerns about swelling airways. Scarlett remained hospitalized for a week, during which she was placed on a feeding tube and left with severe scarring. Her parents are monitoring her recovery and considering future skin grafts, while her father is urging others to discard NeeDoh products due to the dangers. The toy’s manufacturer, Schylling Toys, has a warning against heating or microwaving the product, and TikTok has policies against promoting dangerous challenges, though such incidents continue to occur.