If you suspect your child has swallowed or inserted a button battery:
A button battery is a small, flat, round battery. They are used to power small portable electronic devices. They are available in different sizes and resemble a button or coin and are also known as coin batteries.
You can find button batteries in many household products. These include remote controls, watches, computers, cameras, calculators, torches, fitness devices, musical greeting cards, digital scales, and home medical devices such as thermometers.
Many children’s toys also use button batteries to produce light and sound effects. These include plush toys, toy cars, digital pets, early learning watches, light-up yo-yos, games, and musical books.
Button batteries are dangerous to children if swallowed or inserted. They can become stuck in your child’s throat and result in serious lifelong injuries or death. Insertion of button batteries into body parts such as the ears or nose can lead to serious injuries.
Children up to 5 years of age are at greatest risk because of their narrower oesophagus and tendency to place small objects into their mouths, ears and noses. Preventing access to button batteries is critical.
This video from Health Canada explains the dangers of swallowing a button battery.
If swallowed, button batteries can lodge in your child’s throat.
An electrical current is immediately triggered by saliva that causes a chemical reaction. This can cause severe burns to the child’s oesophagus and internal organs such as the arteries, lungs, heart, larynx and spine. Serious injury can occur in as little as two hours and the results can be fatal.
Once burning begins, damage can continue even after the button battery is removed. Repairing the damage is painful. It may require multiple surgeries and on-going treatment over many years.
Three children have died in Australia from incidents involving button batteries, and many children have been seriously injured due to swallowing or inserting button batteries.
Four mandatory standards have been introduced for button batteries and products containing button batteries, to reduce the risk of death and injury associated with their use. These button battery mandatory standards cover:
The safety risk arises when children can access the batteries. Avoiding products containing button batteries where possible and keeping them away from children can reduce the risk.
If you do buy products that contain button batteries, look for ones with a child resistant battery compartment. This makes it difficult for children to access the battery.
It can be hard to check the battery compartment of a product when shopping online. If you need to purchase a product with a button battery online, make sure to check the compartment is secure when it is delivered.
Many toys for young children contain button batteries.
There is a mandatory standard for toys for children up to and including 36 months of age. This includes requirements for secure battery compartments on toys that contain button batteries.
If you use, buy or borrow second-hand products, make sure:
Button batteries are lurking everywhere in your home - remote controls, kitchen scales, birthday cards, children's toys, hearing aids and countless other products.
Knowing the big danger this little battery poses means you can take steps to protect your family.
VISION: A single button battery sitting on a table. A number of devices powered by button batteries fall in the background.
NARRATOR: This is a button battery. They're lurking everywhere in your home. They might not look like much, but in the wrong hands and mouths, they're child killers.
VISION: A button battery sits on an x-ray. The button battery begins to smoke, and leaves a burning hole in the x-ray.
NARRATOR: Once swallowed, they can get stuck, and the chemical reaction can burn little ones like me from the inside. Within 2 hours, severe damage can be done. It can take countless operations to heal the wounds, and months more to eat normally again. For others, it's fatal. A house isn't safe until button batteries are out of reach of children. Secure them, store them, and dispose of them carefully. Tell grandparents and carers to do the same. And if you think your child has swallowed one, seek immediate medical attention. Make sure your little ones are safe from button batteries.
TEXT: Tiny batteries, BIG DANGER
NARRATOR: Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.
Children are often unable to let you know that they have swallowed or inserted a button battery.
If you suspect a child has swallowed or inserted a button battery, ask for an X-ray from a hospital emergency department.
If the child displays symptoms, they may include:
Old or spent button batteries can still pose a safety risk. Follow this simple safety tip to help prevent severe injury.
VISION: A man stands against a white background, holding a button battery in hand.
PRESENTER: Old or dead button batteries can still pose a severe injury risk, particularly in young children who put everything in their mouths, ugh.
VISION: A close-up shot of a number of different-sized batteries stuck to a strip of sticky tape. The tape is folded over on itself, creating a seal.
PRESENTER: If you stick the batteries on sticky tape in a row like so, it makes it much harder for kids to swallow.
TEXT: Seal batteries between 2 pieces of sticky tape for fire prevention and child safety
PRESENTER: Unless they can dislocate their jaw like a snake, and that's... that's just gross.
TEXT: For more information on battery safety and to find your nearest B-cycle Drop-off point go to bcycle.com.au
