A grieving mom has spoken out and called for a total ban on a popular bath toy after her infant’s sudden death.
Taylor Bethard is a mother-of-five from Wisconsin whose 10-month-old daughter, Esther Jo Bethard, died suddenly one day after taking a bath.
After the baby girl’s passing, it was discovered that the child accidentally swallowed one of her water beads while playing in the bath.
While water beads have originally been designed to assist in agriculture thanks to their high water absorbency, the small objects are now often also being advertised as bath toys for children.
“Water beads should be banned/recalled and no longer allowed to be marketed as a children’s toy,” Taylor said after one bead got lodged in her daughter’s body.
She went on to admit that she didn’t notice the baby swallowing the bead while playing with water during bath time.
Later, little Esther developed symptoms such as vomiting and constipation which are similar to the symptoms of a viral infection.
Once trapped inside a body, the beads may grow in size and block vital passages resulting in serious medical complications and even death.
Taylor also took the opportunity to pay her young angel a tribute saying she was a child with a “big smile” that “brightened up the whole room.”
“When I say she was adored, I truly mean she was adored and fiercely loved by everyone,” the mom-of-five added.
Our thoughts remain with Esther’s loved ones during this challenging time.
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