Each year, the National Poisons Centre receives between 80-100 calls regarding button batteries, most commonly about children swallowing them.
What is a button battery?
Button batteries can be found in many toys and household devices such as remote controls, watches, hearing aids and calculators. They are small, flat, round, and shiny and can range in size from 0.5cm up to 2.5cm. They are sometimes referred to as ‘coin batteries’.
Why are button batteries (both new and used) dangerous?
If a battery is swallowed or put in a nose or ear it can create an electrical current that results in a chemical burn. Larger batteries also increase the risk of obstruction. Obstructed breathing can cause chocking, and an obstructed gut can cause vomiting and abdominal pain.
If a child swallows a button battery, it can :
- cause the child to choke
- become stuck causing an obstruction or blockage
- cause serious burns and bleeding
If a child puts the battery up their nose, it can:
- become stuck
- end up being swallowed
- cause serious burns and bleeding
- end up in the child’s lung
How do I know if my child has swallowed a button battery?
Swallowing a button battery can go unnoticed by caregivers. By the time that symptoms start to appear, serious injury has possibly already occurred. At first, the child may simply go off their food and appear to have a decreased appetite.
Depending on where the battery is stuck and how long it has been there, the child may develop:
- noisy breathing, wheezing, or coughing
- drooling or dribbling from the mouth (more than seems normal for the child)
- difficulty swallowing
- vomiting or spitting up their food (more than seems normal for the child)
- a fever
- blood in their saliva or stools
Many other conditions can also cause these symptoms so seeing a doctor will help to find the cause.
What should I do if my child has swallowed a button battery?
Seek immediate medical attention. An x-ray can show if a battery has been swallowed.
If you see your child swallow a button battery, they are over 12 months of age, and they can swallow without choking, try to give them 2 teaspoons of honey every 10 minutes two or three times. If they vomit, stop giving the honey. For children under 12 months, simply go to the nearest hospital immediately.
- take them to the nearest hospital immediately
- do not delay going to the hospital to give honey
- do not give them any other food or liquids
If you live more than an hour away from hospital, it is advisable to call an ambulance just in case your child develops breathing difficulties on the way.
If your child is choking, unconscious or not breathing call 111 immediately.
How do I prevent my child swallowing a battery?
- Buy toys that have a lockable battery cover that cannot be easily removed by a child
- Keep devices such as remote controls away from children and store up high when not in use
- When putting toys away, have a quick inspection of the battery compartment and look for any signs of tampering, wear and tear or missing batteries
- If you notice batteries missing from a toy or device, act quickly to try and locate them. If they cannot be found and you think you child may have swallowed them, take your child to hospital for assessment