Health Canada warning about life-threatening risks of water beads
Canadians are being warned about the potentially life-threatening risk of water beads for young children.
These water-absorbing gel beads, also known as jelly beads, hydro orbs, crystal soil, sensory beads or orb beads, can grow up to 1,500 times their size when put in water.
Health Canada is warning parents and caregivers that if a child ingests a water bead, it can continue to grow inside the child’s body, which can lead to life-threatening injuries.
“They’re found in a wide variety of stores, because they’re in a wide variety of products,” said product safety officer Melissa Legary in an interview on Wednesday.
“They can be found in art kits, toys, stress balls, crystal soil and even in gardening products.”
Since water beads are brightly coloured, it may lead to some people, including children, mistaking them for candy. The beads are also small, slippery and bouncy, so they can easily roll away.
Health Canada noted that in a several incidents, a child got their hands on a bead after it had rolled to another area of the home. There have also been situations where a younger sibling was able to access the beads that had been purchased for the older sibling, as well as incidents where a child accessed them at school or in childcare.
“If one falls it can roll around and it can be found by either a pet or a young child, and because they’re brightly coloured they do look like they can be candy and they can be ingested,” Legary said.
Health Canada said there have been a number of international incidents where children ingested water beads and sustained life-threatening injuries that required surgery.
In the United States, 248 water bead cases were reported to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from Jan. 1, 2017, to Nov. 22, 2022. Of these incidents, 112 involved ingestion, 100 involved ear canal insertion, 35 involved nasal cavity insertion, and one involved an eye injury.
Health Canada’s Consumer Product Safety Program received six reports of water bead-related incidents from June 20, 2011, to Jan. 31, 2023. Three of these situations involved injuries, one of which was severe.
Anyone who suspects their child has ingested a water bead should call the Canadian Poison Centre hotline. Parents and caregivers should also monitor for symptoms such as vomiting; abdominal or chest pain; constipation; lethargy; drooling; difficulty breathing or swallowing; and loss of appetite.
Legary noted water beads are unlikely to show up on an X-ray.
“If you do suspect your child has ingested one of these, you need to see a health-care professional and let them know that you do have water beads in the house,” she said.
If a water bead is placed in the nose or ear, you need to get medical help.
Water beads should always be stored in airtight containers that are out of sight and reach of kids. Health Canada recommends that if you have children under five to avoid having water beads in your household.
If a child over the age of five is using water beads, a parent or caregiver should closely supervise, and thoroughly clean the surrounding area once the child is done playing.
Canadians can go to the Health Canada website to learn more about water beads, or to report a health and safety concern.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.