Many common and seemingly innocent household items come with something you probably don’t realize is dangerous: a button battery. When ingested these small, flat lithium batteries can cause significant injury or even death to children. That’s because the electric charge between the battery and surrounding tissue causes rapid and severe chemical burns that can eat through the wall of the esophagus and even nearby major blood vessels, causing internal bleeding.
Pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Rob Kramer of Children’s Hospital Colorado shares three tips you need to know about button batteries to keep your child safe:
1. Always have honey in your home: For children over age 1 who have swallowed a button battery, giving them 1–2 tablespoons of honey every 10 minutes until you get to a doctor may save their life or limit the severity of the injury.
2. Time is of the essence: Button battery ingestion can cause life-threatening injury within minutes. Get to the hospital ASAP after a suspected ingestion.
3. Know where all of the button batteries are: Whether they’re in greeting cards, toys, hearing aids, electronic devices or your watch, locate all of the button batteries in your home and make sure they aren’t accessible to you children.
These batteries may be small, but they cause a big safety concern.
source
