Popular children's toy being pulled from the toy section by two major retailers
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Walmart and Amazon have said they will no longer sell water beads marketed to children after safety concerns and serious injuries.
Walmart and Amazon have said they will no longer sell water beads marketed to children after safety concerns and serious injuries.
Water beads are small colourful balls that are super absorbent, but that also makes them a danger to children who ingest them.
While they seem harmless enough, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the United States said water beads were responsible for 4,500 emergency room visits over the past four years.
The tiny beads can grow in a child's body and they don't show up on an x-ray machine which is why there is a growing call to have them banned.
When soaked in water they grow into slippery, squishy balls of fun, but if swallowed, these tiny super-expanding toys can cause vomiting, intestinal blockages, and life-threatening injuries.
Now, after extensive testing by Consumer Reports and the CPSC another danger has emerged - toxic chemicals.
“Tests found chemicals like acrylamide, a likely carcinogen that is also toxic to the brain, and BPA which has been linked to certain cancers and fertility issues,” said Lauren Kirchner with Consumer Reports.
