Emergency medics have issued a health warning over a popular Christmas gift that “could result in critical illness”.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) issued a “safety flash” over water beads found in popular toys such as stress balls or sensory toys.
When exposed to liquid, the tiny beads can grow to roughly 400 times their size in about 36 hours.
If ingested, they can cause serious bowel obstruction and would need to be removed surgically, but they are not visible on X-rays.
Water beads have been linked to child deaths overseas and to “serious harm” to children in the UK, according to the RCEM.
The safety alert was targeted at emergency doctors in preparation for the festive period, but the warning also extended to parents and carers.
The RCEM safety flash also highlighted concerns about button or coin batteries and magnets, which could result in the “need for emergency medical treatment”.
Button and coin cell batteries can become lodged in the throats of young children, potentially causing serious injury or even death due to a chemical reaction that damages tissue.
A previous warning also highlighted the dangers of super-strong magnets, which may come together in the intestine if swallowed and could even lead to perforation of the bowel, which requires urgent surgery.
Dr Salwa Malik, vice president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said: “Any one of these three objects could be found under your tree or in a stocking this festive season, hidden in gifts that are intended to bring joy to a child or vulnerable person, but which, if swallowed, could result in critical illness and the need for emergency medical treatment.
“As an emergency medicine doctor, I have seen parents holding their child’s hand and watching over them while they lay on a bed in an Emergency Department, in need of urgent care because they have ingested one of these items.”
