British doctors warn of the risk of spawning water beads marketed as toys

Doctors have warned about tiny beads that can expand up to 400 times their original size when exposed to liquid, amid reports linking them to serious injuries and deaths among children.

The water beads are marketed for various purposes, including as toys, for crafting, as home decoration or in floristry, and are especially popular at Christmas. They are sold under a variety of names, including jelly balls, water balls, sensory beads and water crystals.

If swallowed, the water beads expand and can block the gastrointestinal passage, which may require surgery. The beads can also cause choking and have harmed children in Britain, with reports linked to deaths worldwide. Water beads can be difficult to detect and are not visible on X-rays.

On Monday, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) issued a “safety flash” over water beads being marketed as toys, amid fears they could be given to young children during the holiday period.

It follows a safety alert from the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards, which advised that water beads should be kept away from children under the age of five and should only be used on older children or vulnerable adults under close supervision.

Water beads have been linked to child deaths abroad and “serious harm” to children in Britain, the RCEM said. They are sometimes used in stress balls and sensory toys, and they are also sold as home decor and vase fillers.

The beads start out small, just a few millimeters wide, but can grow to 400 times their size in about 36 hours when exposed to liquid.

The safety warning has been issued to emergency physicians so that they know what to look out for during work, but the RCEM also wants to warn parents and caregivers of the dangers.

The RCEM warning also highlighted concerns about the potential for children to swallow button or coin batteries and magnets, which if swallowed pose a danger to children and vulnerable adults.

RCEM Vice President Dr Salwa Malik said: “Each of these three items can be found under your tree or in a stocking during the holidays, hidden in gifts intended to bring joy to a child or a vulnerable person, but if ingested it could lead to serious illness and the need for emergency medical treatment.

“As an emergency room physician, I have seen parents hold their child’s hand and watch over them while they lay on a bed in the emergency department, needing urgent care because they had ingested one of these items.

“As a parent, I can imagine how terribly terrifying and traumatic that would be to experience – for a mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, brother, sister and of course the child herself.

“Having seen the effects first-hand, which can be devastating and harmful, we are asking people to please think twice about the dangers they pose when choosing and giving presents this season.”