NEW YORK (AP) — Three major retailers, Amazon, Target and Walmart, say they are temporarily suspending sales of water bead products for young children due to growing safety concerns.
Water beads are small, colorful balls made of super absorbent polymers. These are often sold as toys, such as craft activity kits, and as sensory tools for children with developmental disabilities. But warnings abound about the dangers of ingesting beads.
“When[water beads]absorb water, they can expand many times their size,” said Dr. Joshua King, medical director of the Maryland Poison Center. “And while most of them even pass through the intestines without incident, in some cases they can swell to a size that can actually block the intestines.”
This can lead to severe discomfort and life-threatening injuries, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission notes online. guidance — added that water beads can also get into your ears and cause damage and hearing loss. An estimated 7,800 water bead-related injuries were treated in hospital emergency rooms between 2016 and 2022, according to regulators.
Amazon confirmed Thursday that it updated its policy on selling water beads earlier this week “out of safety considerations.” A spokesperson for the e-commerce giant said it would no longer allow the sale of water beads, which are sold to children for purposes such as toys, art supplies and sensory play.
Under Amazon's latest policy, listings will be removed if they include images of children or references such as “children,” “children,” “crafts,” or “sensory play.” Sellers have until Dec. 22 to comply, a spokesperson said.
Walmart also confirmed its decision to discontinue sales of “inflatable polka dot toys and crafts marketed to young children,” noting that the company has already taken steps to remove the products from its stores and online. And Target announced it would no longer sell water beads marketed to children under 12, citing similar safety concerns.
Target began removing products from stores and online this week, and expects to complete the process by the first week of January, a spokesperson said.
Target previously sold the Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kit. I remembered During September. These activity kits, made by Buffalo Games, are the result of reports that a 10-month-old baby died after swallowing water beads in Wisconsin, and a 9-year-old baby in Maine underwent surgery for severe injuries after swallowing them. It was pulled from the shelves after another report of a moon baby. beads.
Amazon, Walmart and Target aren't the only retailers with policies restricting the sale of water beads. EBay points to measures it has implemented over the years, including filters that prevent sellers from listing water beads sold as toys and safety warning requirements for other water bead products. And Etsy now completely bans water beads “regardless of marketing or use,” a spokesperson said.
Ashley Haugen, founder of the advocacy nonprofit That Water Beads Lady, said Thursday that aggressive corporate action “not only saves lives, but builds consumer confidence.”
“I'm really proud of what you're seeing, what this action is showing us, that parents, advocates, health professionals, policy makers, businesses are making it safer for all children. Because it's the result of working together to build the world.” That water bead girlfriend lady after her youngest daughter was seriously injured by a water bead in 2017.
Lawmakers and advocates continue to push for broader changes beyond company-by-company measures, which some say are outdated.
Last month, U.S. Representative Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) introduced a bill that would ban water beads sold to children nationwide. Pallone was joined by other consumer safety advocates, including CPSC Chairman Alex Horn-Sulick and Haugen, to announce the bill.
There are still countless water beads and other objects (toys or not) that children can swallow, so experts urge families to stay vigilant and be aware of what children play with. We advise people to keep an eye on people and store potentially dangerous items out of sight. and reach it.If something happens, he points to a local location poison center And that Poison Helpline (1-800-222-1222) As a good resource.
“We recognize that children are swallowing things all the time, and we're here to help,” King said.
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Perez Winder reported from Chicago.
