SAFETY ALERT: Doctors issue warning of 'detrimental' toy ahead of Christmas Day

A safety alert has been issued by doctors over tiny water beads that may be gifted to children during the Christmas period.

These 'toys' have been deemed 'fatal' by doctors if ingested by young children.

The beads "can expand up to 400 times their original size when exposed to liquid", causing serious harm and death among children if ingested.

The popular beads are sold under a variety of names including jelly balls, water balls, sensory beads and water crystals.

Button batteries have also been included in the warning to parents as they are fatal to young children 

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.

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"Having seen the effects first hand, which can be devastating and detrimental, we are asking people to please think twice about the dangers these pose while selecting and gifting presents this season," Dr Salwa Malik, vice president of the RCEM, told PA Media.

Today the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has warned of the dangers that water beads can pose to children and vulnerable adults if swallowed. This follows our safety alert issued in September. Water beads should be kept away from children under 5 years of age, and… pic.twitter.com/n6p0oDQy13

— Office for Product Safety and Standards (@OfficeforSandS) December 23, 2024