Study: Water Bead-Related ER Visits by Kids Increased Over 130% in One Year

Water bead-related emergency room visits by children increased by over 130 percent — from 55 visits in 2021 to 127 in 2022 — according to a new study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Water beads are made of super-absorbent polymer crystals which can retain hundreds of times their weight in water. The beads — which are widely marketed as sensory toys for children and floral arrangement/decorative products for adults — start small (often the size of a sprinkle) and can increase their size by 150-1500 times after soaking in water. The beads are bright and colorful and have a candy-like appearance. Because they are so small, it is easy for water beads to get lost in carpets, furniture, toys and other places where young children may eventually find them and put them in their mouths.

If swallowed, water beads are extremely dangerous because they do not simply get digested and pass through a child’s body. Instead, they absorb fluids and expand, and can cause life-threatening intestinal and bowel obstructions and other serious injuries. Water beads also expand when placed by curious children in their nose or ears and can cause nasal cavity injuries and hearing loss.

The “Pediatric water bead-related visits to United States emergency departments” study examined a representative sample of data from January 2007 through December 2022 from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). Other key findings from the study include:

• An estimated 8,159 children under age 20 were seen in ERs for water bead injuries over the study’s 16-year-period.
• 55 percent of water bead-related ER visits involved children under age 5.
• 46 percent of the ER visits involved children who swallowed water beads. Ingestions occurred most frequently among children ages 1-2. Children ages 3-4 accounted for one-fifth of water bead ingestions.
• 33 percent of the ER visits involved children who put water beads in their ear.
• 12 percent of the ER visits involved children who put water beads in their nose.
• 9 percent of ER visits were for eye injuries. Note some water bead products are sold for children in toy gun sets, commonly called “gel blasters,” which have high-capacity magazines that can quickly and forcefully propel multiple rounds of water beads up to 300 feet, depending on the model.

92 percent of children who visited the ER for water bead injuries were treated and released, according to the study. Of the children who required inpatient admission, approximately 90 percent were under age 5. All inpatient admissions for children under age 5 involved ingestion. The report cited one case where a 3-year-old swallowed approximately 1,200 water beads, which it described as “only one tablespoon of the unexpanded beads.” Thankfully, the child successfully passed all the beads through her system with the aid of a mineral oil enema. But not every child is that lucky.

In July 2023, 10-month-old Esther Jo Bethard of North Prairie, Wisconsin lost her life after she swallowed a stray water bead from a Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kit that an older sibling had played with months earlier. Feldman Shepherd attorneys Alan M. Feldman, Daniel J. Mann and Edward S. Goldis represent Esther’s family in a wrongful death product liability claim. Feldman Shepherd attorneys also represent other families who had children swallow water beads and sustain internal injuries.

Other incidents in which children were seriously injured or killed from swallowing water beads and required surgery, and in some cases multiple surgeries, have been reported by the news media and to the CPSC through its SaferProducts.gov public database.

The study notes that symptoms of water bead ingestion are often nonspecific, such as vomiting, and often mimic other common conditions, such as gastroenteritis, which makes clinical diagnosis difficult. The problem is compounded by the fact that water beads are radiolucent and often cannot be seen in X-rays, CT scans or ultrasounds. “This can lead to delay in diagnosis and appropriate treatment, which underscores the importance of primary prevention of water bead ingestion,” the researchers wrote.

What Is Being Done to Prevent Water Bead Ingestion by Children?

In response to Esther’s death, and the many other tragic incidents involving children and water beads, in May 2024, federal lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation, called “Esther’s Law,” which would direct the CPSC to establish a ban on the sale of water beads designed, intended, or marketed as a toy, educational material, art material or sensory tool for children. The legislation also would direct the CPSC to: (1) consider regulations on the colors of other water beads that pose an ingestion hazard to limit their attractiveness and (2) require warning labels on packages of water beads that are used for other purposes. The bill is presently before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and has not yet been voted on.

Buffalo Games, the maker of the Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kit from which Esther swallowed the stray water bead, recalled this dangerous product in September 2023, two months after Esther’s death. According to the recall notice, Buffalo Games also received a report that a 9-month-old child was seriously injured in November 2022 — eight months before Esther died — from swallowing Chuckle & Roar water beads. That child sustained an intestinal obstruction that required surgery.

In December 2023, several major retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Target and Michaels voluntarily stopped selling water beads marketed for children. While these efforts are commendable, water beads are still readily available for purchase, often labeled as vase fillers, home decorations and wedding decorations. Online product reviews from retail sites that no longer sell water beads marketed to kids show that parents, caregivers and even educators continue to regard the beads as fun and harmless and continue to purchase them for children even when they are not labeled as a toy.

For example, below are several reviews on Amazon for a water bead product that is described for use as “Vase Filler, Plant, Floating Candles, Wedding and Home Decoration.” The reviews were written after Amazon stopped selling water beads marketed to children.

“I bought the beads for my son so he could make stress balls for his classmates as an end of the year gift. He inflated a balloon and poured beads and water in it. He made roughly about 60 stress balls. His classmates loved them. He made all sorts of colors and sizes. He liked that the beads expand with water. This made his stress balls different sizes.”

“I kept some at home for a younger son to play with a bin. But I brought most of them to my elementary school classroom. At school, the students worked in teams to sort and count the beads. They had such a good time. I also added small cups and magnifying glasses to add to the experience.”

“These water beads made for hours of entertainment for my kids (6 & 4). I bought a plastic storage tub, dumped about 1/3 of the beads in it, and filled it with water. My kids loved them (very sensory friendly!).”

“Used these for a spa birthday party. Worked as advertised and the kids loved them. We have a ton more for future activities.”

“This worked very well with our end of the year water day event at school.”

“Very good for kiddos who need a sensory break. You can put in a funnel, hide plastic animals great for fine motor trying to pick up.”

What Should I Do If My Child Has Been Injured from Swallowing Water Beads?

The product liability team at Feldman Shepherd recommends contacting a product liability attorney as soon as possible if your child has been injured from swallowing water beads.

Daniel J. Mann, a shareholder at Feldman Shepherd, observed that product liability law requires that all products be safe for their intended as well as expected use. Mann said, “water beads have no place in homes where children could be present. They look like candy and can cause significant injuries or even death. The failure of manufacturers and retailers to test and warn of hazards is astonishing, and we are pleased that Congress is going to enact a ban on these products, and that retailers such as Amazon have stopped selling these products that were marketed to children.”

Mann, together with co-founding shareholder Alan M. Feldman and partner Edward S. Goldis, has secured substantial recoveries on behalf of infants and young children who have been seriously injured or killed by children’s products, including baby slings, sleeping products, unstable furniture and magnetic toys.