Kids – don't try this at home! This is from the National Capital Poison Center:
"Although the polymers used to manufacture water beads are non-toxic, the beads can absorb fluid and expand in the intestinal tract after they are swallowed, and this can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening intestinal blockage. At least one death has occurred after water bead ingestion by a child. In that case, a 6-month-old boy suffered a bowel blockage after swallowing a single superabsorbent polymer bead given to him by a neighbor. The infant underwent surgery to fix the intestinal obstruction but later developed an infection and died."
"Although the polymers used to manufacture water beads are non-toxic, the beads can absorb fluid and expand in the intestinal tract after they are swallowed, and this can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening intestinal blockage. At least one death has occurred after water bead ingestion by a child. In that case, a 6-month-old boy suffered a bowel blockage after swallowing a single superabsorbent polymer bead given to him by a neighbor. The infant underwent surgery to fix the intestinal obstruction but later developed an infection and died."
Are Water Beads Toxic?
Water beads contain superabsorbent polymers that can expand to hundreds of times their original size, after exposure to water. These beads,
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