Little Batteries Pose a Big Hazard to Kids

Doctors at Children’s Hospital Central California are cautioning parents to keep disk and watch-type batteries away from small children. Swallowing one can have tragic consequences.

The increased use of these small round camera batteries in everything from hearing aids, fast-food meal toys to singing greeting cards means there are many around the average home. Their small size and shape, reminiscent of candy, makes them attractive to young children. “By their innocence and their exploratory nature, babies and toddlers put things in their mouths,” says Dr. Robert Kezirian of Children’s Hospital, “These camcorder batteries are small and can quickly end up in their mouths. Unfortunately, they can be deadly.”

A recent recall of several toys from Chuck E. Cheese has brought this risk to the forefront once again. Children’s Hospital sees a number of these cases each year, with the peak age group for ingestion being six months to three years.

Watch-type and disk  aspire 1640 battery, unlike standard alkaline batteries, are not well sealed. As soon as a child swallows one it begins to leak. If the battery makes its way quickly to the child’s stomach it is neutralized by the stomach acid, and passes through the intestines. Problems arise when the battery lodges in the esophagus. The caustic leakage can cause significant damage to the surrounding tissues, in one case eroding the child’s airway into the aorta until it ruptured. Despite doctors’ efforts, that child died.

“The problem is compounded by our not really being able to tell from an x-ray whether the object is a large disk aspire 3000 battery or a coin,” said Dr. Kezirian, “It makes it hard to determine if we should act aggressively to remove a battery, or wait for a coin to pass through the child’s system.”

Children’s Hospital recommends that parents don’t leave batteries out where small children can reach them, look for and find any laptop batteries they may have dropped, check laptop battery covers on toys, television remotes and other small electronics to ensure they can’t be opened, and keep items with non-secure batteries, like singing greeting cards, out of a child’s reach. If a toddler ingests a toshiba satellite a10 battery, that child needs to be seen immediately by a doctor.

“Time is of the essence,” says Dr. Kezirian, “If we know the  satellite 1800 battery, satellite m30 battery is there and act quickly; we can save a child’s life.”