Study Shows Dangers of Button Battery Ingestion in Small Children

NEW DELHI — Button batteries, used to power several common products at home, can lead to serious injuries and even death among toddlers who ingest them, finds a study. 

The team from the University of Sydney analysed over 400 cases of button battery damage worldwide and stressed that a child’s age, the size of the button battery, and a delayed diagnosis combine to create a “perfect storm”, which can lead to severe harm.

Lead author Christopher Tran. a professor at the University of Sydney in Australia, urged clinicians to be mindful of “a potential button battery ingestion when dealing with acute onset respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms in young children”.

Tran added that when a child swallows a button battery, it can cause a chemical reaction in the oesophagus that creates a solution that burns and dissolves the tissue inside the child’s throat.

In the study, children who did not have the button battery removed within six hours were almost eight times more likely to die. Those younger than two years old who had swallowed a button battery with a diameter of at least 2 centimetre were the most at risk for serious damage or death.

About 26 per cent of injuries from swallowing button batteries resulted in burns to the child’s oesophagus, with 23 per cent being extremely severe. Burning can cause a hole in a major vein or artery, causing fatal blood loss.

Nearly 9 per cent of complication cases resulted in death, with bleeding being the most common symptom of fatality.

A growing number of everyday home gadgets, such as watches, hearing aids, remote controls, and toys, rely on button batteries as tiny power sources.

Button batteries, however, pose a risk to inquisitive young children who may swallow them unintentionally or put them in their mouths, noses, or ears without being able to express what has happened.

The most common initial symptoms of a button battery swallowing in a child are choking, difficulty feeding, and coughing. However, over time these symptoms change (for example, vomiting, drooling) and may be mistaken for other health issues such as gastroenteritis or a respiratory infection.

The researchers also emphasised the need to raise awareness among parents about the possible risks associated with button batteries, the necessity of storing batteries safely, and the proper disposal methods.