Parents are calling for a ban on water beads after a child suffered from a brain injury as a result of swallowing the toys. This later caused her to be diagnosed with toxic brain encephalopathy.
One alarming case involves a young girl named Kipley Haugen, who swallowed water beads when she was a toddler. At first, her family believed she would be fine, but soon after, Kipley developed a severe intestinal blockage.
This blockage caused her to vomit, break out in a rash, and struggle with her coordination. Doctors later diagnosed Kipley with toxic brain encephalopathy, a serious condition that affects brain function.
Now eight years old, Kipley is still recovering from her brain injury. Along with her mother, Ashley Haugen, she is advocating for a ban on water beads to prevent future injuries. They hope their story will encourage other families to keep these toys away from young children, reducing the risk of further accidents, per CBS News.
What Happened To Kipley?
After accidentally swallowing the water beads, Kipley developed toxic brain encephalopathy. Because water beads can expand up to 100 times their original size when exposed to water, they cause a severe blockage in the child's intestines. This led to a rash, vomiting, and problems with coordination, eventually resulting in the toxic brain condition she was diagnosed with.
A study published in the journal Pediatrics on Jan. 28, 2025, detailed the potential harmful effects of water beads on humans if they are swallowed. Dr. Elizabeth Friedman, the medical director for environmental health at Children's Mercy Kansas City, is a co-author of the study, according to Medical Xpress.
The researchers found that between 2016 and 2022, United States emergency rooms treated an estimated 7,800 cases of water beads being ingested. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission also revealed that there was a 10-month-old child who died in 2023 after swallowing the toys.
Ashley is now responsible for running an advocacy website called "That Water Bead Lady," which aims to help other families whose children were also injured by consumer products.
Dangerous Contents of Water Beads
The Consumer Product Safety Commission also raised the dangers of water beads in March last year, where it warned people of the toxicity risk of two particular products: the brands Jangostor and Tuladuo.
The agency found that these products contained unsafe levels of acrylamide, which is a chemical compound that is considered a probable human carcinogen that can cause cancer as it damages or alters cells within a person's body.
On top of potentially causing cancer, high levels of exposure to this chemical compound can have severe negative effects on a person's nervous and reproductive systems. The agency said that the products it warned consumers about contained levels of acrylamide in violation of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, as per NBC News.
