Washington Parents: New Trend Could Send Your Kids To The ER

TikTok trends posing a threat to kids is almost becoming run of the mill.  Even so, they still need attention paid to them as children tend to be less discerning than adults.  The latest trend on the app has sent a number of kids to emergency rooms with severe burns.

This TikTok video has been viewed close to 20 million times and involves melting sugar to make a sweet treat.  How many parents out there feel comfortable with their kids dealing with a substance as potentially harmful as melted sugar?  Working with melted sugar in the conventional way (via stove top) can still provide challenges. but that's not what the video shows.

The sugary treat kids have been trying to make is called Tanghulu.  It is fruit with a melted sugar glaze that popularized in Chinese culture.  It adds sweetness and crunch to the fruit of choice.  Jasmine and Tea is a social media influencer with channels on TikTok and YouTube.  In her video showing how to make Tanghulu, she uses a microwave at 30 second intervals instead of the stove top to melt the sugar.

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What's The Big Difference?

You can't put metal in the microwave.  So the pot you would traditionally use to melt sugar is a no go.  Melted sugar is extremely hot and glue-like in consistency.  It has been known to melt through plastic microwave safe containers.  If it gets on the skin it can cause anywhere between first to third degree burns.  Children around the world have been hospitalized trying to make the hardened fruit treat.

Don't think for a second the mason jar in the above photo is much safer.  Anyone that has taken glass or ceramic items out of the microwave knows how hot they can be.  Filled with melted sugar it can be even hotter to the touch.  If mishandled by a child, a trip to the ER is not out of the question.  It doesn't have to have direct skin contact either.  If the molten mixture gets on clothes it can burn the skin that way as well.

How Widespread Is This?

With 20 million views on Tik Tok and more on YouTube, enough to call attention to what is happening.  Shriners Children's Hospital in Boston has seen a spike in kids visiting the ER because of burns sustained by melting sugar in the microwave.

What Can Be Done To Prevent Serious Injury?

That's a tricky one because it all depends on what happens in each moment.  The first place to start though, is to make sure your kids know kitchen etiquette and safety.  Make sure they know their way around and how to safely handle items hot enough to burn them.  Another way is to make Tanghulu with them a couple of times so they see how to properly handle melted sugar.

If An Accident Occurs...

Melted sugar can cause deep burns due to it's composition.  Medical professionals advise taking these steps if melted sugar makes contact with skin or clothing:

• Remove the affecting clothing as quickly as possible
• Do not apply ice to the burn area
• Wash with cool water
• Seek medical attention if necessary
• Blistering is a sign of a second degree burn
• leathery discolored skin may be a sign of third degree burns

Creams can help the healing of second degree burns, but third degree burns require immediate medical attention.  Many of the burns being reported have been on hands and faces.  Facial burn can increase the need for an ER visit.