Water Beads

Water beads (also known as jelly beads, hydro orbs, crystal soil and gel beads) are the latest craze that poses danger to children and have even resulted in fatalities!

But what exactly are water beads? When they originally hit the market, water beads were marketed and used as decoration in vases to keep flowers hydrated. It is only in the last decade that there has been a movement to the toy market and promoted as toys for crafts and sensory tools for children with developmental disorders such as autism and other neurodiversions.

Water beads have become increasingly popular in sensory play and among young children due to their appealing vibrant colours and distinctive squishy texture. Manufacturers claim that the beads enhance sensory skills and encourage children to play with the beads, but most do not provide any form of warnings regarding the potential hazards. Children love these beads but they can pose a serious danger if swallowed.

The beads are made from polymer chemicals that is highly absorbent and can expand up to 15 times their original size when wet, reaching the size of a golf ball. If ingested these beads can absorb body fluids causing them to swell within the body posing a serious risk of blockage in a child's bowel and requiring medical treatment. Since the beads do not show up in Xray's, locating them once swallowed can be challenging. Depending on how they travel through the body and where they end up a child may need to undergo major surgery. Instances have been reported where children have had to undergo multiple surgeries in order to extract all the beads.

Between 2016 and 2022 more than 5000 children in the US required treatment in A&E after swallowing water beads, resulting in diagnoses of blockages, poisoning and in some cases, death. Despite these figures and a request to recall and stop selling water beads, certain manufacturers are refusing to pull these items from the market.

Numerous parents and childcare facilities have been using water beads unaware of the potential hazards they pose to young children as the majority do not come with any warnings about the risk of injestion. However, there is an increasing recognition of the need to take action and mitigate the risks as much as possible.

There is an increased push to ban water beads in children's toys and craft. However, until such a ban is passed and implemented it is crucial to ensure that water beads are kept out of reach of young children.