Susan Collins Introduces Bill to Prevent the Marketing of “Water Beads” to Children

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R) has signed onto a bill that aims to ban the sale of water beads marketed toward children in the wake of 10-month-old Esther Jo Bethard’s death in North Prairie, Wisconsin.

“The problems associated with water beads were brought to my attention by the mother of a baby girl from Berwick, Maine, who was hospitalized at 9 months old with a life-threatening obstruction after accidentally consuming a single water bead,” Sen. Collins said in a press release Friday.

“This bipartisan bill will keep children safe by establishing common sense guidelines for labeling these potentially dangerous toys that have led to more than 7,800 emergency room admissions since 2016,” Collins concluded.

“To hear that Senator Collins office is going to co-lead the bill that’ll protect children from the dangers of water beads makes me feel safe,” said Folichia Mitchell, a Berwick mother whose daughter was hospitalized after accidentally consuming a water bead. “It makes me proud that our state recognizes the danger and heard Kennedy’s story. Together we are better and stronger against an unreasonable danger to children.”

Also signing onto this law were Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA).

“Parents buy toys and educational materials for their kids with the understanding those products are safe for their children,” said Sen. Baldwin. “Sadly, with water beads that is just not the case. We need to do more to prevent kids from ingesting these dangerous products and give parents the confidence they deserve that the toys they buy are safe.”

“I am proud to introduce this legislation in Esther’s memory to ensure no parent has to go through the pain of losing their child because companies were allowed to market water beads as toys,” Baldwin said.

“Too many families have faced terrifying hours in the emergency room, worrying about whether their child will survive after swallowing a water bead, a product that is often marketed as a toy,” said Sen. Casey. “With thousands of children hospitalized in just the last few years, it is clear that this product has no place in the hands of children.

“This bill will keep kids out of the hospital and prevent more families from facing the nightmare of water bead ingestion,” Casey concluded.

“No family should have to figure out how to explain the death of a child to their siblings, or how to have holidays and birthdays without them. Ever,” said Taylor Bethard, Esther’s mom. “But especially not because of a toy.

“Esther’s Law will help ensure that other families do not have to endure the same senseless tragedy,” Bethard said. “Rather than holding Esther each day, I’m left holding onto her tiny shoes, a ring with her perfect curls, while fighting to give her a voice. A voice that shouts our children deserve better. Families deserve better. Thank you for hearing Esther’s voice.”

Click Here to Read Sen. Collins Full Press Release

A brief summary of this bill provided by Collins describes water beads as “tiny spheres made of super-absorbent polymers that can grow up to 100X their size – some to nearly the size of a golf ball – when exposed to liquids.”

This document goes onto explain that water beads are often brightly colored and marketed toward children — including those with disabilities — as “toys or sensory tools.”

Because of their appearance, children are prone to putting them “in their mouths, ears, or noses,” despite careful adult supervision.

“Once ingested, the water beads grow—resulting in gastrointestinal blockages, hearing damage, and other serious medical conditions that often require surgical intervention,” the summary explains. “The ingredients that compose some water beads have also been shown to be toxic, resulting in poisonings and potentially complicating recovery for some children. Furthermore, water beads may not appear on x-rays and ingestion symptoms often mimic common viruses, leading to delays in detection and treatment.”

Click Here to Read the Full Summary of this Bill

If passed, this bill would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ban the sale of water beads marketed to children as “toys, educational materials, sensory tools, or art materials.”

It would also require that the CPSC consider limiting the colors in which water beads may be sold more generally in an effort to reduce their attractiveness to children.

Warning labels would also need to be included on water beads that remain available to purchase for other purposes.

Click Here to Read the Full Legislation

A number of organizations have come out in support of this bill, including Amazon, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Autism Society of America, Center for Pet Safety, the Children’s Hospital Association, Etsy, Michaels, the National Retail Federation, Target, Walmart, and the Wisconsin Poison Center, among others.