If your child has accidentally swallowed a water bead, it is important to seek medical attention right away. Water beads are tiny plastic balls that can expand when wet and become lodged in the throat or digestive tract. Swallowing them can cause choking or blockage of the airway, as well as damage to the esophagus or intestines if they become stuck. Symptoms of water bead ingestion include coughing, difficulty breathing, gagging, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. In some cases, surgery may be required to remove them from the body. It is also important that you keep an eye on your child for any other symptoms such as fever or diarrhea which could indicate infection due to aspiration into their lungs during swallowing. Furthermore, it’s wise to monitor for signs of dehydration since these beads can absorb much of the liquid in their environment including saliva and stomach contents leading to loss of fluids from the body. Therefore if your child has ingested a water bead seek medical care immediately and be prepared with any information about what occurred prior to ingestion especially type and size of bead used so doctors can better assess your child’s condition accordingly