For most kids, bath time is the best part of the day, and having toys in the tub makes it even more fun. But one mother from Illinois is warning parents about a hidden danger in a common bath toy after her son suffered a serious eye infection.
Eden Strong was giving her 2-year-old son, Baylor, a bath when she noticed his eye looked irritated. She thought it was just water in his eye, but soon after, his condition worsened.
In just 12 hours, Baylor’s eye went from a little pink to severely infected. Doctors diagnosed him with cellulitis, a bacterial skin infection that can become serious.
“His eye was swollen and sticking out,” Eden wrote in a Facebook post that has since gone viral. “He had a high fever, and it kept getting worse.”
Fearing for her son’s sight, Eden rushed him to a larger hospital. She was terrified that he might lose vision in one eye.
“I cried the whole way there, praying that he wouldn’t lose his eye,” she shared.
Doctors worked to control the infection, but it spread to both eyes and down his face. There was a chance he could lose vision in his worst-affected eye. Thankfully, after treatment, his eyes healed completely.
Eden later discovered the cause of her son’s infection—a squirting bath toy.
“Those toys trap water inside, and bacteria grow inside them,” she explained. Even if you squeeze the water out, some moisture stays inside, allowing bacteria to multiply.
After sharing Baylor’s story online, Eden received messages from hundreds of parents who had similar experiences. Her warning has now been shared over 300,000 times.
Eden threw away all of Baylor’s squeezable bath toys and hopes toy makers will consider safety improvements.
“These toys are cute, fun, and cheap, but they are not worth the risk.”
Baylor’s story is a reminder for all parents—some bath toys may not be as safe as they seem.