Massachusetts Girl Suffers Third-Degree Burns From Slime Project

First Posted: Mar 29, 2017 04:10 AM EDT
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Homemade slime is a do-it-yourself trend that once again became popular this year, thanks to social media. This project is easy enough to make, but 11-year-old Kathleen Quinn did not have a lot of fun with it as much as she had thought.

According to CBS News, the fifth grader just finished creating the concoction when both of her hands started hurting. Upon complaining to her parents, they noticed that her skin was turning bright red and was already starting to bubble. Siobhan Quinn, Kathleen's mother, said that her daughter was crying in pain. When they took a look at her hands, they were horrified to find blisters, as well.

These burns were a result of the homemade slime she recently made, a project that has become popular over the past few years. In fact, it became so popular that liquid glue and borax (the main ingredients in the slimes) sales rose during the latter part of 2016. In the last four weeks, sales were more than doubled, at least according to Elmer's Glue parent company Newell Brands.

Slimes have oozed through the cyberspace in the last few weeks in different types -- from glitter slime, clear slime to sequin slime, among others. The most common slime recipe involves Elmer's glue, borax (a common household cleaner) and water -- and sometimes food coloring for effect.

ABC News reported that doctors at the South Shore Hospital in Massachusetts think the injuries were likely a result of prolonged exposure to borax. While noted as a common household cleaner or an additive for laundry, prolonged exposure can be damaging -- like Kathleen's burns.

Although in pain, the fifth grader is expected to make a full recovery. Her parents, on the other hand, are taking it upon themselves to warn other parents about taking extra precautions when dealing with common chemicals such as borax for children's projects.

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