Alert for new viral challenge: Eight-year-old girl dies after inhaling aerosol deodorant
The girl's grandfather found her unconscious on the sofa, with signs of purple lips and fingers.
An eight-year-old girl died after participating in a new viral challenge circulating on social media, known as the "deodorant challenge."
The victim was identified as Sarah Raissa Pereira de Castro, who suffered cardiac arrest last Sunday in the Federal District of Brazil, reported Folha de Sao Paulo.
Authorities suspect the cause of death was inhaling deodorant during a viral challenge circulating on the social media platform TikTok.
Reports indicated that the girl's grandfather found her unconscious on the sofa in the house, with signs of purple lips and fingers, and the deodorant and her cell phone next to her.
The grandfather called the Mobile Emergency Care Service (SAMU), whose rescuers managed to stabilize her enough to bring her alive to the hospital.
However, doctors confirmed her brain death hours later.
As far as is known, the alleged challenge involves inhaling the contents of an aerosol deodorant while recording a video to later share. Whoever can hold out the longest "wins."
Anthony Wong, director of the Toxicological Assistance Center (Ceatox) at the Children's Institute of the University of São Paulo (USP), explained that the aerosol contains ethanol and liquid and solid particles that can quickly penetrate the bronchi.
The product can cause asphyxiation, neurological damage, cardiac arrhythmias, or even death.
Sarah's family was unaware that the girl had come into contact with this type of material; it was the hospital doctors who mentioned the possibility that the cause was related to the deodorant challenge.
The police are still awaiting the results of the medical report.