Kids love playing in the bathtub. They can sit for hours in the warm water, just splashing around and having fun. It also can be a nice break for parents, which is always a plus. You have probably heard warnings about certain bath toys and hidden dangers. Toys that squirt water are often under fire because they can be a breeding ground for nasty bacteria, and many parents just don't mess with them.
Eliza McLaughlin's son, Zaylin, loves bath time, and she tries her best to keep his toys safe. She posted a warning to parents on Facebook about a potentially dangerous toy that she had no idea was harmful, and it's not what you may think. It wasn't a squirt toy. This toy has batteries and caused her son a lot of pain.
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Zaylin's bath was just like always.
McLaughlin wrote that she had put her toddler in the tub to play while she got ready for work. Like many little kids, he loves to play in the water and stays in for "quite a while." But this time was different, and Zaylin wanted to get out quickly.
"As I was drying him off he was rubbing his eyes saying 'hurt, hurt' but was also rubbing his ears. So I assumed he just had an ear infection and I would take him to the doctor the next day. I sit him down, turn trolls on and we start eating our breakfast," she wrote in her Facebook post.
The mom noticed something strange.
Zaylin's eyes were red, which concerned her. She went back to the bath to look at his toys, and one in particular stood out.
"I instantly thought about how our morning went and go check this specific toy cause the rest of his toys are simple that water can't get into. Plus, I've seen all over social media about mold growing in certain bath toys so I never bought them," she explained in her post. "But I never saw anything about battery operated toys. As I open it up there's so much battery acid inside the toy which caused his eyes to burn."
Zaylin needed medical attention.
McLaughlin shared that she and Zaylin went to the hospital, where he received treatment for his eyes. She wrote that she knew about the dangers of mold but never thought about battery acid and wants other parents to be aware of it.
"We headed up to the hospital and got treatment for his eyes," she wrote, adding that they were "still swollen since it did just happened but I just wanted to w[a]rn anybody that had this specific toy or any battery operated toys that is made for the water/baths to throw throw them away !!"
Parents were thankful for the warning.
The mom's post has been shared 242,000 times, and people were grateful to McLaughlin for spreading the news.
One parent was ready to toss hers. "putting it in the trash now," she wrote.
Another person agreed and tagged a friend, commenting, "I think I left this toy at your house. Throw it away."
"I almost bought that for my granddaughter. Thank you for this post," someone else wrote.
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Others praised McLaughlin for her quick thinking.
Moms always know, right? It's like our superpower.
A friend wrote, "Aww poor ZaZa, I hope he is ok. I'm glad ur mommy senses kicked in and u figured out what it was quickly. Great job. We love y'all and pray he is gonna be ok."
And another person agreed, writing, "This is so terrifying!! Glad you caught this when you did!! Poor little baby mans hoping for a speedy recovery."
