Button battery safety: What to do if your child swallows one
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – It's the season of buying gifts and toys for children for the holidays, but some items could contain button batteries, which medical experts said can be life-threatening.
Button batteries are used in everyday items and range in shapes in sizes from a pill to a coin. These types of batteries can be used in key fobs, thermometers, and several types of games and toys for kids.
Dr. Kris Jatana, a surgeon with Nationwide Children's Hospital and Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center, advised parents to be on the lookout for button batteries that could be in any electronic holiday gifts.
"These products often contain remote controls, greeting cards also contain button batteries that are the musical type or the type that lights up," Katana said. "If they do contain any type of battery, make sure the battery is housed in a secure compartment."
If you suspect your child has ingested a button battery, Katana said the incident is an emergency. If your child is over 12 months of age, the recommendation is to give two teaspoons of honey every 10 minutes and seek emergency medical care.
"Ingestion of the battery causes rapid injury," Katana said. "The honey actually helps to decrease the rate of injury if the battery got stuck in the esophagus."
If your child is under 12 months of age, experts do not recommend giving honey and just seek emergency treatment. Parents can also call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline which is available 24/7 at 800-498-8666.
Some symptoms to look out for if you suspect your child ingested a button battery include fever, not wanting to eat or drink, wheezing, difficulty breathing, throat pain or choking, gagging, and problems swallowing.
To avoid any incidents with these batteries, experts recommend keeping button battery-controlled devices out of sight and reach of young children, especially for kids ages 5 and younger.
"This is often remote controls, watches, hearing aids, children's toys, calculators," Katana said. "It's really important to ensure if these are in the household setting, that an inventory is kept of these certain electronics."
For additional information on button batteries, click here.