Parents are always in a hurry. With working full-time jobs, taking the kids to soccer practice and picking up the little ones from day care, finding time to feed everyone can be a big challenge for parents. Sometimes, microwavable food is a parent's best friend. What could be easier than a cup of soup?

These 12-ounce Styrofoam cups of joy are often a kid's delight. However, the consequences of this convenient remedy for the on-the-go parent are often overlooked. These cups are top heavy, basins of hot liquid that are causing burn injuries more frequently than you may think. One burn unit in Los Angeles reports seeing two to three victims each week burned by these soup cups, with some units across the country reporting higher numbers.

According to NPR, the soup cups are poorly designed, causing the lightweight cup to tip over when toddlers handle them, causing severe burns on their bodies. When noodles from the soup stick to the skin, the burn can become worse. These burns tend to cause longer hospital stays for the victims because the burns are much deeper than a normal hot liquid burn.

The taller cups with a narrow base seem to tip over more easily than wide-based containers. Researchers say the solution is simple: make a cup with a wide base and narrow top. Why haven't companies implemented a new design? Companies have a responsibility to make sure their products don't cause injury that can be easily avoided. Too many young children are falling victim to poor product designs.

Source: NPR, "Why Burn Doctors Hate Instant Soup," Mara Zepeda, Dec. 5, 2011