Girl hospitalised after DIY slime goes wrong

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If you love to make things at home with your kids beware of any slime recipes you come across online, as a US girl is recovering in hospital after a DIY slime recipe went wrong.

With slime enjoying a resurgence among teens and tweens at the moment, eleven-year-old Kathleen Quinn made some while at a sleepover at a friend's place.

But instead of it being the innocent fun you might expect, Kathleen's mum Siobhan said her daughter woke up in terrible discomfort while at the sleepover. By the time she got home, she was in serious pain.

"She was crying in pain, 'My hands hurt, my hands hurt,'" Siobhan told CBS news. "And we looked at them and they were covered in blisters."

Kathleen was taken to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with second- and third-degree burns. She had blisters all over her palms.

The slime's three main ingredients were Elmer's glue, water and Borax. Kathleen told KTRE, "It felt, like, really hot and tingly."

Doctors think the burns came from Kathleen's hands being exposed for a prolonged period to the Borax, which is a sodium borate. Many people keep Borax around the house to get rid of ants.

Kathleen's parents want others to be aware of how dangerous homemade slime can be, and to be careful when making it at home.

But Siobhan said Kathleen has made slime before, and that it shouldn't stop other parents from exercising caution.

"I've had other mothers say, 'Oh, we've made it a million times. It's fine. Nothing happened to my child,'" said Siobhan. "We made it a million times too."

Experts say the use of too much Borax is dangerous. It is also important to ensure all the Borax is dissolved properly.