Esther Jo Bethard was a smiley, red-headed, 10-month-old girl from Wisconsin. But her life was cut short in 2023 after she swallowed a toy called a water bead. The colorful beads expand when they come into contact with water.
Since Esther Jo’s death, a law has been introduced that would ban water beads from being sold as a child’s toy. But according to Abe Scarr with PIRG, The Public Interest Research Group, that may not be enough to keep water beads out of children’s hands.
Scarr explained there were over seven-thousand incidents involving water beads that required hospitalization or emergency room care in recent years. He called water beads “a significant threat to the well-being of children.”
That’s why water beads top the list of PIRG’s “Trouble in Toyland” report, a comprehensive look at toys that are deemed unsafe for kids.
The report highlights a pack of water beads, made by Babyia, and sold on Amazon. While the label says the beads are for decorations and can be used as a “vase filler”, the Babyia Amazon store is covered with pictures of kids.
Scarr said the Babyia page is a problem because “it conveys that this is a safe product for children or that if you have children, this is something that you may want to do with them or that they may enjoy.”
NBC 5 Responds contacted Amazon about the item, and Amazon removed the listing, telling NBC Chicago “Amazon does not allow the sale of water beads marketed to children”.
Also on the Trouble in Toyland report: a host of items marketed as stress-relieving products for adults, but which also have appeal to kids.
For example, high-powered magnets meant to be a fidget device. Scarr said the magnets should have an explicit warning about the choking hazard. However, the magnets packaging does not display any such warning.
PIRG’s report also lays out a warning about toys that contain button batteries. The tiny batteries are easy for a child to put in their mouth and swallow. Scarr explained, swallowing one of these batteries can cause organ damage, even death.
In 2022, a federal law was passed requiring battery compartments containing replaceable, button cell, or coin batteries to be secured so they require a tool or two simultaneous hand movements to open. But just because a law is in effect, doesn’t mean it’s always being enforced.
NBC 5 Responds asked Amazon why it allowed this toy, containing button batteries, to be sold on its website. Amazon told us it uses automated checks to prevent unsafe products from being listed, and has since removed the listing.
When it comes to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, PIRG says it has a very small budget and staff, and it doesn’t have the resources to be “enforcing everywhere all at once”.
The entire Trouble in Toyland report can be found here.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Trouble in Toyland: Potentially harmful products to keep away from small children )
Also on site :