Reminder: Keep "Crystal Clay" away from young children
Published Time:
2016-06-14
Chongqing Medical University Children's Hospital recently admitted a critically ill child who had accidentally ingested water beads, causing intestinal obstruction. Experts warn that many homes have water beads, which are attractive and fun, but accidental ingestion by young children can have disastrous consequences.
The child admitted to Chongqing Medical University Children's Hospital was just over one year old. After accidentally ingesting water beads the previous evening, the child began crying and vomiting the next morning. Treatment for a cold proved ineffective, and the child was rushed to the hospital. By this time, the child was completely limp and breathing rapidly. Professor Zhou Dekai, a professor of general surgery, diagnosed the child with classic symptoms of intestinal obstruction and immediately performed small bowel resection and anastomosis surgery.
Zhou Dekai said that inside the section of small intestine removed from the child, which was causing the obstruction, was a mass of water beads the size of a ping-pong ball. This "sphere" consisted of dozens of small, soft, red water beads.
Experts explained that these water beads are made from water-absorbing polymer, often used as a soil substitute for indoor soilless plant cultivation. This highly water-absorbent resin can absorb 50 to 100 times its weight in water within a few hours and slowly release it to supply the plants. Because they are crystalline granules and vibrantly colored, and become elastic after absorbing water, they are also used to make toys, marketed as "water beads" or similar names. A package of these "water beads" contains dozens of beads, each containing several smaller beads. They can be soaked in water to expand, and played with like bouncy balls.
Experts warn that several water beads, after expanding in the body, are enough to cause intestinal obstruction. Prolonged small bowel obstruction can lead to intestinal perforation, intestinal necrosis, and even death. Therefore, parents who have water beads at home should keep them out of children's reach. It is best to prevent infants from contacting these toys, and care should be taken to prevent accidental ingestion.
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