Politics & Government

Thousands of Water-Absorbing Toys Recalled

About 94,000 toys that may pose life-threatening risks were sold in the U.S.

A manufacturer of toys that expand in water announced a recall of thousands of products that may cause death.

The small toys that grow to 400 times their original size when they absorb water can cause vomiting, dehydration and even death if ingested by a child, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The recalled toys include Water Balz, Growing Skulls, H2O Orbs from the movie "Despicable Me" and Fabulous Flowers. Over 94,000 toys were sold in the U.S. that came in packages of six in green, yellow, red, blue and black colors. 

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The toys do not show up on an x-ray, and require surgery to be removed from the body, according to the Consumer Commission.

An eight-month-old Texas girl swallowed a Water Balz toy and needed an operation to remove the object, according to the agency.

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The following retailers sold the expandable toys:

  • Bed Bath & Beyond, Five Below, Hobby Lobby, Lakeshore Learning Materials, Microcenter, Urban Outfitters Direct and Wegmans.
  • Amazon.com, incrediblescience.com, keyporthobbies.com, americantoystores.com and other websites from September 2010 through November 2012 for about $3 per package. 
  • The H2O Orbs "Despicable Me" were sold exclusively at Universal Studios stores during June 2012 for about $3 per package.

For more information on the recall and to receive a free toy replacement, visit www.dunecraft.com and click on the recall tab.

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