Dangers of Swallowing Button Batteries

Small parts and pieces of various items can easily be swallowed by a child and produce severe damage.  But many parents might not know about button batteries – those small batteries that are silver-colored and fit in a remote, watch, toy, calculator, etc.  Also known as coin lithium batteries, they can cause serious injury or death if swallowed. Extreme danger also occurs if these batteries are placed in the nose or ears.

Dr. Jonathan Kohler is the medical director of pediatric trauma at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Kohler says that within minutes of ingestion, the current from the battery can start burning through your throat and that can kill you.  Kids who swallow these batteries may require emergency surgery.  Dr. Kohler says parents should go to the emergency room immediately.  Call the hospital and tell them why you’re coming or call an ambulance if you can’t get there immediately.  Every minute counts. 

Reese Hamsmith’s parents had to endure the pain of losing their young daughter when she swallowed a button battery.  Now they are educating the public and hoping to change the law.
Reese swallowed a button battery in October 2020. She endured countless surgeries and scopes and was intubated under sedation for 40 days. Reese lost her fight on December 17, 2020, and passed away at just 18 months old.

So how do you know if your child may have swallowed a battery?  Reese’s mother, Trista Hamsmith took her daughter to visit a pediatrician when she noticed some irregularities with her breathing.  The doctor thought it was a case of croup (an illness that is usually caused by a virus).  When Trista returned home with Reese she noticed a button battery missing from her remote.  That’s when she rushed Reese to the emergency room and discovered that Reese had indeed swallowed the battery.

For more information about Reese, visit Reesespurpose.org. Some of the legislation the family hopes to pass include:

Mandating secure battery compartments for all devices that require a button or coin battery. Developing and bringing a safer battery to the market. Increasing education of parents and medical professionals of the signs and symptoms of button battery ingestion, as it is often misdiagnosed until after significant damage has happened.

The National Safety Council (nsc.org) recommends the following:

• Call the 24-hour National Battery Ingestion Hotline (800) 498-8666
• If available, provide the battery identification number, found on the package or from a matching battery
• In most cases, an X-ray must be obtained to determine whether the battery has passed through the esophagus into the stomach; if the battery remains in the esophagus, it must be removed immediately
• Don’t induce vomiting; don’t eat or drink until the X-ray shows the battery is beyond the esophagus
• Report fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, or blood in stools immediately