For young children in many homes, bath time is a treasured nightly ritual that is enhanced with bubbles, laughter, and an abundance of colorful toys. However, for one mother in Illinois, this routine became a nightmare when her 2-year-old son, Baylor, suffered serious injuries from an innocent bath toy.
In a Facebook post that has now gone viral, Eden Strong, a mother who frequently discusses her parenting story online, described the horrifying incident and alerted parents to the hidden risks that bath toys might provide. What started out as a routine bath for Baylor swiftly turned into a medical crisis that made Eden worry for her son’s safety.
It all began one evening when Eden saw that Baylor had an annoyed look in his eye. At first, she dismissed it because he had gotten soap or water in his eye, which happens to many parents when they bathe their children. But Baylor’s condition quickly worsened following his bath. His eye became extremely enlarged and inflamed in a matter of hours, and he also developed a high fever.
The swelling had gotten worse by the time they arrived at the hospital. Baylor had contracted cellulitis, a bacterial skin infection that, if untreated, can be fatal. What started off as a pink irritability around his eye developed into an infection that damaged both of his eyes and extended across his face. In her tearful Facebook post, Eden described how “his eye was protruding from his face.” It was quite hazy. He had a severe case of fever.
Eden hurried Baylor to a bigger hospital in tears and fear, hoping he wouldn’t lose his sight. Doctors told her that he might become blind as a result of the infection in his worst eye. Baylor fought the virus for a week while being closely monitored by doctors. Thankfully, he recovered fully and his vision was preserved following intensive treatment. However, Eden was unaware that a basic squirting bath toy was the root cause of this tragic event.
Eden discovered that these kinds of bath toys develop bacterial breeding grounds since the water is never completely drained out. The toy’s moist, enclosed interior provides ideal conditions for the growth of bacteria, which can then be squirted into a child’s mouth or eyes while they’re playing and cause dangerous infections like the one Baylor had. More than 192,000 people have shared Eden’s Facebook post, which featured startling pictures of her son’s bloated face and eyes. In response, other parents shared their own terrifying tales of how bath toys caused their kids to get infections and get hurt.
Although Baylor is now completely recovered, Eden’s terrifying ordeal has had a long-lasting effect. Having now thrown out all of Baylor’s squeezable bath toys, she has called on toy manufacturers to rethink the design of bath toys that may harbor bacteria and encouraged other parents to follow suit. “Those toys in particular are adorable, in my opinion. They’re entertaining. “They’re easy and inexpensive, but they’re not worth it,” she stated.
Eden hopes that by sharing her story, other families won’t have to go through what she did, emphasizing that a seemingly innocent, enjoyable bath toy might become a major health risk. Parents all throughout the world have responded favorably to her message, and many are now reconsidering the safety of the toys they let their kids use while taking a bath.
The horrifying experience of the Strong family serves as a clear reminder of the unspoken risks that can come with even the most harmless youthful pastimes. Parents around are thankful for Eden’s bravery in sharing her tale, which has surely prevented many children from going through what she did.
In order to alert others to the possible risks that these bath toys may present, kindly share this story.
