BOSTON — A leading American children's hospital has issued an urgent public health warning regarding burn injuries, linking a recent surge in cases to a viral social media challenge inspired by the hit Netflix film, 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' (KDH). The phenomenon, often dubbed the '#KPopNoodleChallenge', sees young fans attempting to replicate a scene from the movie where characters quickly consume cup ramen, inadvertently increasing the risk of serious scalds.
Shriners Children's Hospital in Boston, a renowned burn care facility, posted a statement on its website urging parents and guardians to exercise extreme caution. The hospital highlighted a long-standing and serious risk: instant noodles are responsible for an estimated one-third of all pediatric scald burns. Shriners doctors report treating two to three such injuries every week, a number they fear could rise with the growing popularity of the KDH-inspired trend.
Viral Trend, Real Danger
The warning comes as video-sharing platforms like TikTok are flooded with clips under hashtags such as #KPopNoodleChallenge and #DemonHuntersRamen. In these videos, children mimic the KDH protagonists, often slurping ramen directly from the tall, narrow cup containers.
Medical professionals caution that the inherent design of the cups, coupled with the superheated contents—including boiling water, hot broth, and sticky, heat-retaining noodles—makes them dangerously unstable and easy for smaller children to tip over. Scalding injuries can occur when the containers are being prepared, moved after microwave cooking, or during consumption.
"Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius), and the design of these cups makes them extremely easy to tip over," said a spokesperson for Shriners. "When they do, the hot broth and noodles spill onto the skin, often resulting in deep, painful, and life-altering burns."
Children Most Vulnerable
Doctors emphasized that children are significantly more susceptible to severe burns than adults. A child's skin is thinner and can sustain a full-thickness burn at temperatures much lower than those required to injure an adult. The hot, viscous nature of the noodle broth further exacerbates the damage, as it adheres to the skin and prolongs the exposure to heat.
While acknowledging the enthusiasm of young fans, the hospital is not calling for an end to the trend, but a plea for parental oversight. "We are not telling children not to participate in a fun trend," the statement continued. "We are saying they must participate safely, with adult supervision. A single spill can lead to a deep, painful burn that can leave a lifelong scar."
The risk posed by instant noodles is a well-documented concern in pediatric trauma. A 2023 study by the University of Chicago Children's Hospital found that 31% of their admitted pediatric burn patients had injuries caused by instant noodles, underscoring that this type of scalding injury was a major issue even before the KDH challenge went viral. The hospital’s statement serves as a critical reminder to parents globally about the hidden dangers of hot foods and liquids in the hands of young children.
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