Battery safety part 2: Protecting our children from potentially lethal accidents

PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN

In the United States alone, 2,800 kids require emergency treatment for swallowing button batteries annually. That breaks down to approximately one child every three hours. In 2017, there were 1,986 ingested battery cases involving children under 6 years of age. I recently viewed a heartbreaking video published by Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) about a Hampshire toddler, Francesca Asan, who tragically died from ingesting a button battery from a pair of 3D glasses stored in a cabinet.

With the development of more advanced battery chemistries and more batteries in the home to power our gadgets, serious injuries and deaths from their ingestion have multiplied by nine times in the last decade.

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Awareness leads to Prevention

Coin cells and smaller button cells of silver oxide, alkaline, and zinc air are essential in every household. They are flat, shiny batteries that range from 8 mm to 20 mm in diameter. Parents and pet owners should be attentive to the presence and accessibility of these coin batteries (and any devices containing them) in their home and actively exercise preventive measures to protect their loved ones. Extra attention is warranted for those of toxic lithium chemistries such as CR2032, CR2025, and CR1225 batteries.

An ingested battery may pass through the digestive tract causing minimal harm. The greater danger is with a battery that gets lodged in the esophagus. The combination of saliva with the button battery triggers an electric current that burns the esophageal lining and surrounding tissue. In some cases, death can occur in as little as two to three hours.

Unfortunately, because kids may continue to act and breathe normally, it can be difficult to determine that something is wrong. Worse, developing symptoms can be vague, resembling those of common ailments such as a cold or the flu. For example, children may:

Persistently cough, gag, or drool
Appear to have a stomach upset or nausea
Indicate throat or abdominal pain
Exhibit tiredness or lethargy
Become quieter or more clingy than normal, or otherwise behave other than themselves
Lose their appetite or experience reduced appetite
Exhibit inability to swallow or desire to consume for solid food
Develop a fever

Symptoms may be exhibited consistently or in fluctuation.

Unfortunately, there are no symptoms specific to battery ingestion; however, vomiting of fresh blood (bright red in color) can be a potential indicator of acute bleeding from the stomach or esophagus. Remedying the damage from a battery lodged in the esophagus requires one or several surgical procedures and can result in side effects to the vocal cords. Follow-ups are usually recommended to identify delayed injuries.

According to the University of Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital and the UK’s Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT), the chemical reaction and burns resulting from battery ingestion are akin to burns caused by swallowing a corrosive chemical drain cleaner. Both active and expired batteries can cause severe injuries if swallowed. That expired batteries can cause harm may come as a surprise; but considering that the amount of power required to supply power-guzzling modern devices, an expired or depleted battery that is unable to power the device may easily have enough current remaining to cause harmful tissue burns in the esophagus of your child or pet. Moreover, the higher the original or nominal voltage, the faster the damage capability of the battery. This means that an expired 3-volt lithium coin battery could be more dangerous than a 1.5-volt alkaline cell.

Button batteries can also cause permanent injury when placed in the nose or the ears. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, young children and the elderly are particularly susceptible to this occurrence. Drainage or pain may be noted, and injury can include membrane perforation, hearing loss, and facial nerve paralysis.

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Preventive measures

While potential hazards could produce serious consequences, prevention couldn’t be simpler:

Keep spare batteries, whether loose or packaged, where they belong—locked away and out of your children’s reach and sight.
While it may not be possible to lock away every household device that may contain small batteries, keep as many as possible out of their reach. Potential devices are everywhere. We have created a list of items toward the end of this article that you might consider as a starting point. Any devices not secured out from their reach should be carefully examined for ease of accessibility to the battery compartment, and also for any potential separation of the battery from the device if it is dropped.
Check all of your child's toys for battery compartment accessibility. Many countries have enacted strict regulations regarding accessibility to the battery chamber on toys; for example, a requirement of at least two screws, or a requirement for multiple or simultaneous independent movements to access. Keep in mind that toys purchased from markets, online stores, or local discount stores may not be conforming or subject to toy safety regulations. Be vigilant in your future toy purchases and check your child’s toybox for these products. It is also helpful to check for certified safety marks such as UL, FCC, CE, or other ratings. (See out article: Certifications and standardization nomenclature and what they mean.)
Secure battery compartment access of any device accessible to your child with strong duct tape for safe measure.
Dispose of expired batteries carefully. They should not be in your wastebin for easy retrieval by your curious child or pet, failing to mention, wastebin disposal of batteries is not environmentally friendly. Household batteries of every type and chemistry can be easily recycled. Check your local resources and government agencies for nearby recycling programs.
If your kids are old or mature enough, consider talking to them about battery and device safety.
Enter the numbers of your local emergency and poison control hotline into your telephone and mobile devices to avoid any potential delay in case of an emergency. In the United States, you will want to enter the 24-hour National Battery Ingestion Hotline: (800) 498-8666.
Share this information with anyone in whose care you entrust your child, for example, family members and friends, teachers, caregivers, and sitters.
Think green. Wherever possible, try to buy electronics and appliances that use renewable energy, for example, a wind-up radio or torch, dynamo bicycle lights, a solar-powered calculator, and so on. Having green devices will also help in the event of power failure, or during a pandemic event.

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Responsive actions

Let’s take a look at what to do if you suspect or know that your child has ingested a battery.

Do not induce vomiting.
Call your regional poison control and your local emergency hotlines immediately. In the US, they are available around the clock to take your call: National Battery Ingestion Hotline: (800) 498-8666. If available, provide the battery identification number found on the package of your battery or your device.
Get to a hospital immediately!
Report all symptoms including fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, or blood in stools.
Do not allow your child to eat or drink anything prior to being evaluated by a medical professional. 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 surgically extracted.
It is worth noting that the National Capital Poison Center in Washington D.C., and studies conducted by leading ear, nose, and throat specialists, advance honey dosages. The idea is that it can help slow down (but not prevent) the potential development or progression of battery injury. The recommendation is 2 teaspoons of honey only for ingestions that occur within 12 hours AND children over 12 months old who can swallow liquids. Up to 6 doses of honey may be given about 10 minutes apart. Honey dosage should be discontinued if your child vomits and should neither be a delay to getting to a hospital, nor used in lieu of immediate medical attention. You can learn more at: https://www.poison.org/battery/guideline
If you suspect a battery is trapped in the nasal cavity or ear canal, do not apply nose drops, ear drops, or liquid of any kind until the person has been assessed by a medical professional. As with oral ingestion, any liquid can exacerbate a chemical reaction and augment the severity of the injury.

If you are certain that your child has ingested a battery, never wait to see if any symptoms develop. Get your child to the emergency room. If possible, bring the battery packaging or the device powered by the battery with you.

Download and print this great battery tip card courtesy of Safekids.org

Household devices and products to check

The items listed below are often powered by coin or button batteries that are small enough to ingest, or by batteries which can wholly or partially be placed in the mouth such as AA, AAA, AAAA, and 9V batteries. This list simply serves as a starting point of some basic household items you may have and is not intended to be exhaustive. You will need to consider other potential items and devices.

Remote controls	Musical greeting cards	Digital scales
Watches	Thermometers	Children’s toys
Calculators	Key fobs and key finders	Flashing holiday jewelry, decorations, or novelties
Flameless candles and night lights	Hearing aids	Gaming headsets
Wands, yoyos, and other toys that emit light or sound	3D glasses	Fitness trackers
Drawers or bins with loosely stored batteries	Clothing or footwear that light up with LEDs	Bicycle lights

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Battery chargers and charging cables

Growing evidence suggests that cheap, generic, and off-brand battery chargers are less likely to have met the rigorous safety standards satisfied by recognized brands. Consequently, these aftermarket rechargeable battery chargers are more susceptible to overheating batteries and pose a greater risk of electric shock or other injuries. Device and battery chargers with damaged components or frayed cables also pose a risk to children and should be replaced.

Device chargers and cabled battery chargers are also potential threats to child safety. Leaving a device charger plugged into an outlet, but disconnected from your mobile or other device, exposes children to the risk of painful burning or electric that can be lethal under specific conditions. To a lesser degree, USB charging cables left connected to a computer present similar hazards, even if your computer is asleep or shut down. Many desktop systems are configured to carry electric current even when switched off. Toddlers, babies, and pets who put the live end of the charger cable (the side that plugs into your device) into their mouths can sustain serious injuries. Similar injuries can be sustained if the live end comes into contact with metal, such as worn jewelry.

While not specifically on the subject of batteries and chargers, we encourage parents to cover all unused AC outlets with safety socket covers to prevent object insertion. Inserted objects can have lethal consequences depending upon the electrical conductivity of the item, the presence of moisture, and other factors.

Normal use conditions

Overall, batteries, chargers, and rechargeable devices by reputable manufacturers are perfectly safe under normal use conditions.

“Under normal use conditions” really does include compliance with manufacturer guidelines and using common-sense safety practices. Like keeping battery-powered devices and toys away from direct heat sources that can ignite them, for example. Or, like keeping devices and battery chargers away from water, or where they could come into contact with water, especially if the area is accessible to a child.

But for our young children, what is a normal use condition? Or common sense?

It is our responsibility to be aware of hazards and potential threats, and to prioritize preventive measure to keep our kids and pets safe.

About Us:

Microbattery.com is the leading provider when it comes to Hearing Aid Batteries, Watch Batteries, Lithium Coin Cells, Lithium Batteries, Alkaline Batteries, and Rechargeable Batteries across North & South America. We have the capability to meet the needs of all sizes of consumers, dealers, distributors and importers. For over 25 years, we have been striving to ensure high customer satisfaction and provide the best quality product possible. Ever since our online store was launched 15 years ago, we have been constantly improving & optimizing our site to provide the most enjoyable and convenient shopping experience for our valued customers.

Our online store has one of the largest selections of various batteries and battery products for all types of electronic applications on the web. Our website is very easy to navigate to help ensure customers can find exactly what they need. All of our products are conveniently organized by category. They can be easily filtered by the category drop down located at the top of every page on our website. Alternatively customers can use the Battery Finder™ located on our homepage, to quickly and simply identify the exact batteries they need. If you require any assistance in determining what products are right for you please do not hesitate to give us a call at (305)-371-9200.

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