Water Beads Being Taken Off The Shelves Of 3 National Retailers

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning for water beads.

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According to the description from the CPSC, water beads look a lot like candy and are harmless, but that's far from the case. Water beads can be deadly to babies and small children if ingested, and the CPSC notes that they can lead to choking, internal injuries, and even death if left undetected.

What Are Water Beads

Water beads can be found in many places like craft kits and are even often sold as toys. These small beads are made of absorbent polymer and when exposed to water, can grow up to 100 times the original size.

A Consumer Reports article notes that Amazon, Walmart, and Target will no longer sell water beads if they are being marketed for children. The CPSC reports that from 2016 to 2022, around 7,800 emergency room visits were due to water bead incidents.

The CPSC describes dry water beads as the size of a pinhead, and if ingested, they can grow inside the body, causing severe discomfort, vomiting, dehydration, intestinal blockages, and life-threatening injuries. If inserted into a child's ears, water beads can damage ear structures, causing hearing loss and requiring surgery.

Parents and caregivers are advised to remove water beads from any environment with small children (3 years old and younger), and if you believe a child has swallowed a water bead or inserted a water bead into their ear or nose, you should seek medical treatment right away. You can call the National Poison Help Line at 1-800-2221222.

Safety Tips From The Consumer Product Safety Commission

Do not allow children to play with water beads unsupervised.
Store water beads in a secure container and location where young children cannot easily access them.
Water beads can easily scatter, roll, and become lost in the home and can be ingested in a dehydrated state. The only way to mitigate the hazard is to remove them from the home.