Eden Strong, a freelance writer, is raising awareness about the hidden risks of bath toys after her 2-year-old son, Baylor, contracted a severe bacterial infection. Despite cleaning his toys with bleach, one small accident with a rubber tub toy turned into a terrifying ordeal.
One day, Baylor squirted himself in the eye with a bath toy. Initially, Strong dismissed it, but when his eye became red and swollen, she rushed him to the ER. Doctors prescribed eye drops and sent them home. However, that night, Baylor’s condition worsened—his eye swelled further, and he developed a high fever.
Further tests revealed Baylor had cellulitis, a serious bacterial skin infection. His condition deteriorated rapidly, with doctors fearing he might lose vision in the affected eye. “I cried the entire way to a bigger hospital, praying he wouldn’t lose his sight,” Strong shared.
Weeks of treatment, including antibiotics, eventually saved Baylor’s eye. Strong now urges parents to discard bath toys that can trap water inside. “To put it simply, you cannot clean them,” she wrote on Facebook. “Throw them away.”
Her viral post has been widely shared, with many parents expressing gratitude and sharing similar experiences. Baylor has since recovered, and Strong hopes her story will prevent other families from facing the same ordeal. “I’m glad to sound the alarm,” she said.
