The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Buffalo Games LLC announced a recall of Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits which were sold exclusively at Target from March 2022 through Nov. 2022. Around 52,000 kits have been recalled following the death of one 10-month-old who tragically died in July 2023 after swallowing the now-recalled beads. Buffalo Games was also notified about a 9-month-old who required surgery after swallowing the now-recalled beads in Nov. 2022.
If you’re unfamiliar with water beads, they are gel spheres that expand when placed in water. They make for a fun sensory experience for kids, but there are serious risks involved with any water beads brand, according to experts. Not only can they be a choking hazard, but if ingested, they can continue to grow inside the body, causing blockages and potentially fatal injuries.
Buffalo Games and the CPSC are urging consumers to take the recalled water beads away from children immediately and to contact Buffalo Games for a full refund (around $15) and instructions on how to return the product to Buffalo Games or to Target.
Just a few weeks before the recall, Consumer Reports spoke to safety experts who warned caregivers of the inherent risks of any type of water beads (and four other dangerous products).
“The risks can’t be ignored,” Michael Alfonzo, MD, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine told the outlet. “If you have a child under the age of 3, I wouldn’t have them in my home.”
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