Water beads are particularly popular with small children and can make an excellent present, but the Office for Product Safety and Standards has issued a Product Safety Alert, warning that water beads create a serious danger of choking and suffocation of gastrointestinal blockage.
Key points
- The OPSS has warned that water beads should be kept away from children under 5 years old.
- Older children should only use them under the close supervision of an adult.
- They should be stored out of sight and reach of children.
Why are water beads so dangerous?
Water beads are used as toys, in crafting, as home décor among other uses.
They are also known as superabsorbent polymers. When dehydrated, they are very small, often a few millimetres in diameter. This makes them incredibly easy for children to swallow without detection. However, when they are exposed to liquid, including water or gastric fluids, they can expand to over 400 times their original size.
This expansion can cause a blockage in the gastrointestinal tract, which requires surgery to remove. Once ingested, the beads are very hard to detect and do not show up on x-rays, making diagnosis challenging.
It is also very easy to choke on a water bead.
What can you do?
Although the OPSS is working on recalling products that don’t meet legal requirements – those which expand beyond the legal safe limit when put in contact with liquids – there are things you can do to reduce the danger of water beads in your home.
Keep water beads away
Keep water beads away from young children under 5 years old. Store them out of sight and reach of children.
Avoid having water beads in your home
Water beads are also called orbeez, water crystals, jelly beads and hydro orbs. Try and avoid having them in your home, especially if you have children or will have children in the house.
Be aware of the signs that your child has swallowed a water bead
These include vomiting and stomach pain. However, a child may only show symptoms hours or even a day or more after swallowing a bead.
If you suspect that your child has swallowed some, seek medical attention. It’s also helpful to bring some of the water beads along to show.
Be aware of the signs of choking and what to do
For more detailed information on choking and what to do, click here.
Small magnets
Small magnets also pose a huge choking hazard. Multiple magnets are particularly dangerous because, if a person swallows more than one in a short period of time, the magnets can attract each other as they travel through the body and damage the intestinal walls. They can cause infection, blood poisoning and even death.
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