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SEE: CPSC recalls water bottles
Amazon, Target and Walmart, three of the largest retailers in the US, have announced that they will stop selling bottled water amid growing pressure in recent years to remove the products if after reports of injuries and deaths of children who swallowed them or left them. nose or ears.
Although water beads – often marketed as hearing aids and toys for children with developmental problems – may seem harmless at first glance, the tiny balls, made of polymers, are can be dangerous. When exposed to water, they can “expand to the size of a tennis ball,” about 150 to 1,500 times their original size, according to National Capital Poison Center.
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to “Good Morning America” that they have updated theirs water policy for third-party buyers and are willing to check store listings for water products.
“In the interest of safety, Amazon will no longer allow the sale of water beads to be sold to children, including toys, toys or for special games,” the statement said. “We work hard to ensure that the products offered in our store are safe, and we have teams dedicated to developing and updating our policies, inventory reviews, and continue to monitor our stores to prevent unsafe and non-compliant products from being listed.”
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Target, which previously sold the Buffalo Sports children’s water bottle that was recall in Septemberalso said that the sale of water bottles in stores and on the Internet for children 12 and under will be stopped.
“At Target, our priority is the safety of our guests, so due to growing safety concerns, we no longer sell bottled water to children.” A Target representative told “Good Morning America.”
Walmart also said it would remove water bottles from store shelves and its website.
“The safety of our customers will always be our top priority,” a Walmart spokesperson told “GMA.” “We decided to stop selling water toys and crafts aimed at young children and have taken steps to remove them from our stores and online.”
For years, some parents have been warning about the dangers of water beads, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission There have been published reports of water bead injuries in infants and children.
MORE: Mother speaks out about her daughter’s death after recalling the water bottle
In September, Wisconsin mother Taylor Bethard spoke out Philadelphia ABC affiliate WPVI about the death of his 10-month-old daughter Esther after consuming a bottle of water. Bethard said she wanted to “make sure no other family goes through what (they) went through.”
“It’s a sad, sad feeling to lose your child, no parent should have to go through that, and if we can save a few children by sharing , it’s worth sharing,” Bethard said.
About 52,000 of Bufalo Games’ Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits, a water toy, were recall in September and at the time, the toy company told ABC News that they take customer safety seriously.
“Before selling the Ultimate Water Beads Kit, as we do with all products, Buffalo Sports followed CPSC regulations and tested the product in terms of Children’s Product Safety by a CPSC-certified laboratory,” the Buffalo, New York-based company said in a statement. “The product passed the tests prescribed by the standards, including ASTM standards for expansion materials.
“Buffalo Sports takes customer safety very seriously, and customers should contact us by email, phone or through the chuckleandroar.com will return the Ultimate Water Beads to us for a full refund,” the company added.
Concerned parents should remove any water beads their children may have. In the event of an emergency, parents can also call the National Poison Help Line, available 24 hours a day at 800-222-1222. The Consumer Product Safety Commission Parents are also encouraged to report any waterborne injuries or other serious incidents to SaferProducts.gov.