Pretty soon it may seem safer to make your own toys.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled Aqua Dots, in conjunction with the toy’s manufacturer, Toronto-based Spin Master. Chinese-made Aqua Dots are covered with a coating that becomes toxic when combined with water.

Children who swallow the beads may become comatose, develop respiratory depression or have seizures. So far two cases of American children getting sick from the toy have been reported to the CPSC and Australian newspapers reported children there got sick too.

When ingested, the body converts the coating to gamma-hydroxy butyrate, a commonly known date-rape drug.

Aqua Dots is a kit where kids can put together pictures using beads that fuse together after adding water. This recall applies to all models of the toy, which was sold from April to November this year for $17 to $30.

The toy is sold as Bindeez outside the U.S.

Here’s the CPSC link:
www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08074.html

What’s a parent to do? Research carefully whatever toys you buy this season. And as one parent said on the CBS Evening News a few weeks ago, “Maybe this year we’ll just get a puppy.”

November 8, 2007