Emergency doctors issue 'safety flash' over gifting children water beads this Christmas
23 December 2024, 10:24
Emergency doctors have issued a safety warning over gifting children water beads at Christmas due to their choking hazard and other potentially fatal consequences.
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The brightly coloured plastic beads, often marketed as toys, are generally a few millimetres in size but can expand by up to 400 times in about 36 hours when exposed to liquid.
If a child swallows one, they can cause bowel obstruction and the consequences can be fatal.
They can also cause choking and have harmed children in the UK, with reports linking them to deaths overseas, the government's Office for Product Safety and Standards said in September.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has advised that the beads should be kept well away from children aged under five.
It said they should only be used by older children or vulnerable adults under close supervision.
Read more: Christmas dementia alarm issued by NHS after spike in diagnoses across 2024
The "safety flash" issued is for doctors to make sure they know what to look out for while on duty, particularly given the beads are not visible on X-rays, but the college also wants parents and carers to be aware of the dangers.
The RCEM advised parents and carers to seek medical attention immediately if there is any suspicion a child may have swallowed a water bead.
"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.
The RCEM alert also highlights the potential danger to children and vulnerable adults of button or coin batteries and magnets, if swallowed.
