Multiple children have been hospitalised due to a viral food trend online
Parents are being warned over the Tanghulu trend circulating on social media as more and more children are making the same dangerous mistake.
Doctors at a children’s hospital have spoken out after a spike in the number of kids being admitted due to the potentially dangerous method of making this dessert.
According to a statement released by Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in the US, parents are being urged to avoid making the sugar coated fruit snack; which involves dipped skewers of fruit into a coating of melted sugar.
The Chinese dessert is gaining momentum online, particularly among younger social media users.
While the sweet treat sounds easy enough to make, there are risks involved that many people are not aware of.
Surgeon, Dr. Colleen Ryan warned that children are presenting to emergency rooms with severe burns due to the melted sugar used in the recipe.
Ryan said that with in two weeks, she has treated patients with injuries as a result of the trend, but that there are similar patterns of ‘very deep scald burns’ after the rise of the dish online.
She explained: “When sugar is melted in the microwave like this, it has a high heat capacity, meaning it stores the heat energy.
“If spilled, it can create a severe scald burn, much like spilling hot soup, but it can cause a much deeper burn because of sugar’s properties.
“Kids or teens can quickly grab the pot or bowl and the hot fluid splashes, spills or splatters over them.
“The result is one or several small but very deep burns, often in critical areas such as the hand or the face.”
Parents are being urged to be mindful of these risks and to ensure an adult is present to help with the melted sugar.
If your child receives a scald burn:
- Remove the child from the hot liquid immediately
- Remove any clothing at site of injury
- Cool the injury with cool tap water
- Do not put ice on a burn
You should also seek medical attention if necessary.
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