The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has rejected a shipment of JACISK Water Beads at the UK border, citing severe choking and health hazards for young children after the decorative beads were found to expand beyond safe limits when exposed to water.
The Chinese-manufactured product, sold through Amazon under model number XSZ01, contains 50,000 water beads that expand to more than 50% of their original size within 12 hours of soaking them in water.
“Water beads can pose serious risks if ingested, including choking and bowel obstructions needing surgery,” said Dr. Bryanna Emr, a pediatric surgeon at Penn State Health.
The safety alert follows mounting evidence of water bead injuries across the UK and internationally. Nearly 7,000 water bead-related ingestion injuries were treated in emergency departments in the U.S. from 2018 through 2022.
Emergency medicine doctors issued fresh warnings just before Christmas about the hidden dangers of water beads as stocking fillers.
Medical Experts Sound Alarm
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) issued a safety flash on December 23, warning that water beads have been linked to child deaths overseas and to “serious harm” to children in the UK.
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,” said Dr. Salwa Malik, Vice President of RCEM.
When swallowed, water beads expand and can block the gastrointestinal passage which can then require surgery. The beads pose particular challenges for medical staff.
“It’s very difficult for water beads to move through a child’s bowels by themselves once they have expanded,” explained Mr. Hemanshoo Thakkar, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon.
“The beads don’t show up on X-ray, so finding them can be really complicated”.
Rising Emergency Department Visits
Recent research reveals an alarming trend in water bead injuries. Water bead-related emergency room visits by children increased by over 130 percent — from 55 visits in 2021 to 127 in 2022.
The study, published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, found that more than half (55%) of cases involved children younger than 5 years.
“The number of pediatric water bead-related emergency department visits is increasing rapidly,” said Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
All admissions among children younger than 5 years involved swallowing water beads.
Border Rejection and Regulatory Action
The JACISK product was blocked from entering the UK market after failing to meet the requirements of the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011.
OPSS officials confirmed “The import has been rejected at the border” following testing that revealed the beads‘ dangerous expansion properties.
The rejected shipment contained beads marketed in a transparent plastic bottle, advertised as growing when submerged in water.
Industry Response
Major retailers have taken voluntary action to address water bead safety concerns.
In December 2023, several major retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Target and Michaels voluntarily stopped selling water beads marketed for children.
“The message from this alert is clear, water beads should not be used in childcare settings or at home for children under 5,” said Katrina Phillips OBE, Chief Executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust.
Wider Safety Concerns
The OPSS warning forms part of broader regulatory efforts to address water bead hazards. Water beads are beads that can expand up to 400 times their original size when exposed to liquid.
Regardless of the intended user or marketing strategy used, a water bead that becomes accessible to a child has the same high-risk characteristics and potential harms,” warned Dr. Smith.
Trading standards officers have been advised to notify businesses selling water beads within their area of the potential harm these products may pose.
Legislative Push
The safety concerns have prompted calls for stronger regulation. Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate (S.4298, Esther’s Law) in May 2024 would ban water beads that expand by 50% or more with hydration or expand to a size of 3 millimeters or larger.
The proposed legislation followed the death of a 10-month-old girl in 2023, adding urgency to regulatory reform efforts.
Expert Recommendations
Medical professionals emphasize prevention as the primary strategy. Water beads should be kept away from young children, under 5 years of age.
“If you suspect a child has swallowed a water bead, seek medical help immediately,” advised emergency medicine specialists.
Parents are warned that symptoms may not appear for hours or even a day or so after ingestion.
The OPSS continues to monitor water bead products entering the UK market, with officials confirming enhanced screening measures at border control points.
Image credit:
Amazon logo – Japan, 2023-11-02. Photo by Kentin~commonswiki, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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