McMaster Children’s Hospital experts warn of the dangers of button batteries
HAMILTON, ON – Experts at McMaster Children’s Hospital (MCH) want families to be aware that button batteries are harmful if swallowed. On average, MCH generally sees fewer than five children that have ingested button batteries each year, but in the past 12 months there have been about 10 such cases. In the most severe cases, children may need to receive care in hospital for several months.
“We continue to see children who have swallowed button batteries in our emergency department, and this can lead to the need for urgent procedures to remove these batteries when they become lodged in the esophagus,” says Dr. Mark Walton, pediatric surgeon at MCH. “The injuries from these batteries are very severe – and can be fatal – yet all these injuries are very easily preventable.”
Swallowed button batteries contain an alkaline that reacts with saliva to burn through children’s tissue in just one to two hours. In severe cases, the battery can erode into the airway or major blood vessels. These patients often require two or more procedures with a general anesthetic. Their length of stay in hospital can range from multiple days to months
“If a button battery is swallowed we recommend that you immediately bring your child to the nearest emergency department and give the child some honey to swallow, which will coat the battery,” says Dr. Michael Livingston, pediatric surgeon at MCH. “Normally, honey is not recommended for children less than one year old, but with a swallowed battery the benefits outweigh the risks.”
Button batteries can be found in common household items, such as watches, toys, remote controls and calculators. They can also be found in unexpected places such as musical greeting cards, flashing jewelry and car keys.
To prevent a child from ingesting a button battery, please:
- Keep button batteries out of reach and out of sight
- Keep batteries in remote controls or flashlights only accessible with a screwdriver
- Keep items that may have button batteries (i.e. musical greeting cards) out of reach of young children.
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