With bubbles, laughing, and a ton of colorful toys, bath time is a beloved nightly ritual for young children in many homes. This routine, however, turned into a nightmare for one mother in Illinois after her 2-year-old son, Baylor, was gravely hurt by a harmless bath toy.
Eden Strong, a mother who regularly shares her parenting experience online, detailed the horrific event and warned parents about the potential hidden dangers that bath toys may pose in a Facebook post that has since gone viral. What began as Baylor’s usual bath quickly devolved into a medical emergency, leaving Eden concerned for her son’s wellbeing.
It all started one evening when Eden noticed that Baylor’s eyes were irritated. She initially brushed it off since he had gotten water or soap in his eye, which is a common occurrence for parents when they bathe their kids. However, after his bath, Baylor’s condition rapidly deteriorated. In a few of hours, he had a high fever and an excessively swollen and inflamed eye.
By the time they reached the hospital, the swelling had gotten worse. Baylor had gotten cellulitis, a potentially lethal bacterial skin infection. What began as a pink itchiness around his eye progressed into an infection that spread across his face and injured both of his eyes.
Eden wrote that “his eye was protruding from his face” in her heartfelt Facebook post. It was really vague. He was suffering from a high fever.
In tears and terror, Eden rushed Baylor to a larger hospital in the hopes that he would not lose his sight. Doctors warned her that the inflammation in his worst eye could cause blindness. For a week, Baylor battled the infection under tight medical supervision.
Fortunately, after receiving intense therapy, he fully recovered and his vision was preserved. But Eden had no idea that the fatal incident was caused by a simple squirting bath toy.
Eden found that because the water in these bath toys is never fully drained away, they become breeding grounds for bacteria. Bacteria can grow in the wet, enclosed interior of the toy and then be squirted into a child’s mouth or eyes while they are playing, leading to serious illnesses like the one Baylor had.
Eden’s Facebook post, which included shocking images of her son’s swollen face and eyes, has received over 192,000 shares. Other parents responded by sharing their own horrifying stories of how bath toys led to diseases and injuries for their children.
Despite Baylor’s full recovery, Eden’s horrific experience has left a lasting impact. Now that she has thrown out every one of Baylor’s squeezable bath toys, she has urged other parents to do the same and urged toy companies to reconsider the design of bath toys that can contain bacteria. I think those toys in particular are very cute. They provide amusement. She said, “They’re cheap and simple, but they’re not worth it.”
Eden emphasizes that an apparently harmless, fun bath toy could turn into a serious health hazard in the hopes that by sharing her story, other families won’t have to experience what she did. Her message has been well received by parents worldwide, and many are now reevaluating the safety of the toys they allow their children to use during bath time.
The horrific Strong family experience serves as a stark warning of the hidden dangers associated with even the most innocent childhood activities. Local parents are appreciative of Eden’s courage in sharing her story, which has undoubtedly saved many kids from experiencing what she did.
Please share this story to warn others of the potential dangers these bath toys may pose.
