Whether you’re decking the halls or shopping for gifts, odds are your holiday prep involves something with a button battery. Button, or disc, batteries are used to power everyday items around the home such as flameless candles, hearing aids, toys, key fobs, musical greeting cards, children’s talking books, and light up or musical holiday décor. Sounds great, right? Yes, BUT, according to the Battery Ingestion Hotline, every year more than 3,500 people of all ages across the United States swallow button batteries, which can have dire consequences.
“Ingested batteries that get stuck in places like the esophagus are likely to cause tissue damage due to the electrical current that forms and generates hydroxide which burns the tissue. Serious infections can result from a battery being in contact with internal structures for too long,” said Shelly Clary, educational specialist at the Virginia Poison Center.
In addition to being accidentally swallowed, these small, round batteries can also be placed up the nose and inhaled, most commonly by children.
“We often find that children are accessing these small batteries from loose battery compartments or in drawers located in common spaces in the home such as living rooms, bedrooms or kitchens,” added Clary.
The Battery Ingestion Hotline reported 832 disc battery ingestion cases for children 12 years and younger from July 2022 to June 2023. The Virginia Poison Center has received 107 human exposure calls related to button batteries from 2001 to present.
Symptoms of button battery ingestion or inhalation include:
It’s impossible to know whether the battery will pass through or get stuck, so it is important to seek medical help right away.
Pay attention to what toys, décor or other items in your home have button batteries so you know what poses a potential danger. Keep spare batteries locked out of reach and sight of children. Take note of these things in the homes of friends and family you may be visiting for the holidays as well!
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