Choking Hazard Spurs Recall of Bath Toys Sold at Target

FRIDAY, Sept. 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kit, a child's toy made by Buffalo Games and sold exclusively at Target, is being recalled due to serious ingestion, choking, and obstruction hazards after one infant died and another was injured and required surgery.

Together, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Buffalo Games LLC, of Buffalo, New York, announced the recall of about 52,000 of the kits on Thursday. Consumers can contact Buffalo Games for a full refund and instructions on how to return the product in a prepaid mailing package. Another option is to return the product to any Target store.

The hazard is that if one of these water beads is ingested, it expands. It can then cause choking and obstruction inside a child's body. This could lead to severe discomfort, vomiting and dehydration, and even death.

A 10-month-old died in July in Wisconsin after swallowing water beads. A 9-month-old in Maine was seriously injured in November after swallowing the water beads caused an intestinal obstruction, requiring surgery to remove them.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled water bead kits and take them away from children, the CPSC said.

The kits were sold exclusively at Target from March 2022 through November 2022 for about $15. They were manufactured in China. On the front of the purple container, the label reads "Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kit." It has the UPC Number 079346627035 on the back.

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