Major Retailers Stop Selling Water Beads Marketed to Children

Action Follows Safety Concerns and Legislative Pressure After Child's Death

Major retailers including Amazon, Walmart, and Target have voluntarily stopped selling water beads marketed to children due to growing safety concerns.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has warned that the beads can expand to many times their size once inside a child's body, posing serious health risks.
Water beads were behind roughly 7,800 visits to emergency rooms from 2016 to 2022, according to estimates from the CPSC.
Legislation to ban water beads marketed to kids has been introduced by Rep. Frank Pallone, D., New Jersey.
A 10-month-old child in Wisconsin died in July after swallowing a water bead, leading to increased scrutiny and calls for a ban.