The absorbent beads can grow to the size of a marble or golf ball when immersed in water. If swallowed, they can cause gastrointestinal blockages.
After years of injury reports and safety advisories, water beads continue to be a serious and growing health hazard for young children, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Tuesday.
The absorbent polymer beads are often marketed as colorful, slimy, sensory items for kids to play with. They can be as small as a stud earring — little enough to swallow — but grow to the size of a marble or even a golf ball when immersed in water. Once inside a child’s body, they can cause gastrointestinal blockages.
The CPSC recorded nearly 7,000 water bead-related ingestion injuries in emergency rooms between 2018 and 2022.
Parents - please stop buying tubs full of plastics and micro plastics. Just get some damn sand
I didn’t even know these things existed, but damn, these should be banned. What are the chances for a class action lawsuit?
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I like the cut of your jib.
there have been warnings and incidents regarding these for decades now. how is any of this new?
They are dangerous for young children, as they might swallow them. Intrinsically, they are no danger for those, like me, who are no longer young children.
It really is shocking just how ignorant of danger people are. This is a very obvious way to kill your toddler.
While you’re absolutely correct … have you met people?
