Carers of children warned against letting them play with water or gel beads as toys

Parents and care givers have been warned about the threat of letting children play with water or gel beads, a product increasingly used as toys.

Product safety experts at the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said on Monday the products are a choking hazard and if swallowed could continue to expand considerably larger than their original size.

Water beads, also known as gel beads, sensory beads and by various other trademarked names, are made of a superabsorbent polymer and can retain hundreds of times their weight in water.

According to the CCPC if they expand inside the body they can cause intestinal blockages requiring medical intervention.

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“The beads also can become lodged in a child’s ears or nose. There have been a number of reported incidents around the world involving water beads, including blockages in ear canals and internal organs resulting in hearing loss and bowel obstruction,” the Commission said.

“Following their increase in popularity, particularly on social media platforms, the CCPC is warning that water beads present a serious risk for babies and toddlers in particular, and is advising that they are kept out of sight and reach of young children.”