The girl struggled to eat and drink for several days and was traumatised by the incident.
A three-year-old girl in Singapore suffered severe tongue burns after drinking hot water that was mistakenly poured into her insulated water bottle at a McDonald’s outlet, AsiaOne reported. The incident occurred on February 1, 2026, at the McDonald’s Ridout Tea Garden in Queensway, and the details were shared on Facebook on February 4 by Ridhuan Muhamad, who is the girl’s father and a former national footballer.
“What was meant to be a normal outing turned into a hospital trip after my daughter was accidentally given boiling hot water instead of cold water as we asked for,” the 41-year-old wrote.
Muhamad said they had requested cold water for his daughter’s bottle, but the staff member misunderstood and filled it with hot water instead. The girl took a sip and immediately cried in pain, prompting her parents to rush her to the hospital.
“The filling area was not visible, and when the bottle was returned to me, there was no verbal warning. I assumed it contained cold water, as requested,” he wrote. He also said that the staff didn’t seek confirmation before filling the bottle.
“If not because of the staff member’s complacency and negligence, this incident could have been avoided,” he told AsiaOne.
The girl struggled to eat and drink for several days and was traumatised by the incident. She is stable now.
Ridhuan emphasised the importance of double-checking requests, especially when children are involved. He hopes the incident serves as a reminder for parents and food outlets to prioritise caution.
Notably, he also mentioned that as parents, they were also partly responsible. “We never said the outlet was entirely to blame. We acknowledge that we made mistakes too. Accidents happen, even to careful parents.”
“We shared our story in the hope that other parents and outlets will be extra careful so that no other child has to go through what our daughter experienced. Sometimes, the hardest lessons make us more careful moving forward.
“[It’s] a painful reminder for parents too – always double-check drinks given to our little ones.”
Company’s response
McDonald’s has acknowledged the mistake and apologised, offering 10 “Be Our Guest” cards as a goodwill gesture. The company is reviewing the incident to improve service procedures and communication, particularly when handling hot items.
As per the report, a McDonald’s spokesperson said that they are aware of the incident and “take the matter seriously”.
“The safety and well-being of our customers is our priority. We are reviewing the incident with the restaurant team to reinforce service procedures and clearer communication, particularly when handling hot items,” said the spokesperson.
