Expert: Walter Hintz - 9/5/2011

Question
First let me say thank you in advance.  I am a chemistry major and my MIL has posed a question that I am unsure of the answer.  We have toddlers and frequently use squeeze toys in our bath water.  She says they're harmful b/c water can be trapped inside. I agree it's probably not the best thing - I've never heard of it being dangerous.  From a science perspective - should we discontinue use?  Could harmful things be growing in there?  We use treated water, if that makes a difference in your answer.

She, like a lot of people, read too much scary news -- thanks to the media about the protozoa n. fowleri.  I refuse to buy into the hysteria which is why I came to a science guy.

Please help - is there anything we should be concerned w/ in bath toys?  There is bacteria, viruses etc everywhere and I know my kids come into contact w/ it every second. However after they squeezed a toy into the air the other day - she immediately went into her diatribe.

Answer
Hi Lyndsey
I have never heard of this either. Personally I think the idea of protozoans occuring in bath toys is rediculous. There are bacteria everywhere including bath water but 99.9 percent are harmless and we have defenses against all others. How often have you heard of a case where a child got an infection from soapy bath water? In the past three days I have had three scare questions about N. fowleri. The protozoan is found in warm polluted ponds and pools not bathtubs. It ha sto enter through the nose and very rarely causes an infection
You will most likely never convince your MIL but to ease her mind after the bath squeeze out the water and stick the toy in the microwave for ten seconds