Those button batteries that power many useful household items are a growing health threat. More and more young children are swallowing them and ending up in the hospital.
The tiny power cells provide power for a wide array of common items. For instance, children’s books that make sounds use them. So do digital thermometers often used to gauge the temperature of babies and toddlers. You can find button batteries in power toys and musical greeting cards.
They seem harmless, but can pose a real danger. “Anything really small can get into the mouth of a child pretty easily,” explained Dr. Miguel Fernandez, medical director of the South Texas Poison Center. “Button batteries are notoriously easy to get in. They’re smooth. They’re small. They’re round. They’re shiny so kids like them.”
Fernandez works in the emergency room at University Hospital. He said the first risk associated with button batteries is choking. “They’re small enough that they could get lodged in their throat or their airway and they could choke to death,” he said.
Even if a child manages to swallow the battery all the way into his stomach, the health risks continue. “Button batteries contain what we call caustics. They are chemical that can burn,” he stated. “They can burn a hole right through your gut or your stomach.”
According to the National Poison Center, about 3,000 batteries are accidentally swallowed every year. With so many more of these in use, the risk that a child will experience a serious health complication after swallowing a button battery has gone up seven-fold in the last 15 years.
If you think your child may have swallowed a button battery, and you want some expert advice, you can call the South Texas Poison Center. The number is 1-800-222-1222. If you call that number, there will be a calm, helpful person o the other end of the line.
