The Maternity Hospital warns of the 'Paracetamol Challenge': a dangerous viral game among teenagers that can end up in the Emergency Room

The internet is not always a safe place for children and teenagers, but in this case, the level of danger increases significantly, endangering their health. The so-called 'Paracetamol Challenge' is a game that has gone viral in recent months, in which young people consume toxic doses of this or other medications. According to a document from the Teaching Federation of the USO Union, the goal might be to compete to see who stays hospitalized the longest, although there are several variations. Pediatric emergency doctors at the Materno Infantil, a center that is part of the Regional University Hospital of Málaga, have released a video on their social networks warning that these practices are not a game and can cause "significant injuries and even death."

These cases have also occurred in the United States and Europe. In fact, health authorities have raised alarms. Silvia Oliva Rodríguez Pastor, a pediatric emergency doctor at the Materno Infantil Hospital of Málaga, emphasizes that "viral challenges among teenagers can have serious health consequences."

"The ingestion of large amounts of medications treated as a game, even medications that we have easily accessible at home such as antipyretics and analgesics, can cause significant injuries and even death," she notes in the video, adding: "In Pediatric Emergency, we ask you to alert your children that medications are never a game."

Dr. Oliva asks parents to pay attention to their children's social media and their health status, so if they notice strange behavior, accompanied by vomiting, abdominal pain, or drowsiness, it should raise an alarm.

"Technology is positive, but we must accompany our children so that they use it safely and responsibly," says the doctor.

The hospital asserts that it is an increasingly frequent risk, so the injuries could be serious and even life-threatening. "Medications are never a game," says Dr. Oliva.