UK doctors warn of risk from expanding water beads marketed as toys

Doctors have issued a warning over tiny beads that can expand up to 400 times their original size when exposed to liquid, amid reports linking them to serious harm and deaths among children.

The water beads are marketed for various purposes, including for use as toys, in crafting, as home decor or in floristry, and are especially popular at Christmas. They are sold under a variety of names including jelly balls, water balls, sensory beads and water crystals.

If swallowed, water beads expand and can block the gastrointestinal passage, which may then require surgery. The beads can also cause choking and have harmed children in the UK, with reports linking them to deaths globally. Water beads can be difficult to detect and do not show up in X-rays.

On Monday, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) issued a “safety flash” over water beads marketed as toys, amid fears they could be given to young children over the holiday period.

It follows a safety alert from the UK’s Office for Product Safety and Standards, which advised that water beads should be kept away from children under five years old, and only used with older children or vulnerable adults under close supervision.

The safety alert has been issued to emergency doctors to ensure they know what to look out for while working, but the RCEM also wants to warn parents and carers of the dangers.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 23 December 2024