A screen capture off a SA Health video about the dangers of button batteries to young children.
A spike in seriously injured children visiting the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide has sparked warnings about button batteries.
SA Health says that so far this year two children needed emergency oesophageal (food pipe) surgery and multiple follow-up surgeries to treat complications from swallowing button batteries.
That compares to two children for 2023 and three children for 2024.
Watch a SA Health educational video here: https://youtu.be/JgQvwBz7R-g?si=PMY6gDx1xhMr0c44
SA Health says that nationally, 20 children visit hospital every week with a suspected button battery ingestion with cases spiking during gift giving seasons like Christmas and Easter.
Women’s and Children’s Health Network’s Divisional Medical Director of Surgery, Dr Sonja Latzel says button batteries should be stored like any other poison – securely out of the reach of children.
“We are currently seeing a concerning rise in button battery ingestions with clinicians having to perform incredibly invasive surgeries to save lives,” she says.
“We don’t want to see another death in Australia. If you suspect your child may have swallowed a battery, please don’t wait – quick action is critical.”
Kidsafe SA Chief Executive Officer Holly Fitzgerald says the danger of button batteries is not well understood.
“When swallowed, these small batteries get stuck in a child’s throat and cause severe burns and long-term damage,” she explains.
“We urge parents to look at the items in their home and place batteries out of reach of small children.
SA Health Minister Chris Picton says educating parents is “incredibly important”.
“Children are attending our hospitals with significant injuries to the oesophagus, chest, and stomach,” he says.
Consumer Minister Andrea Michaels urged parents to check their homes for devices powered by these small batteries.
“Please ensure the battery compartment is secured and these items are kept out of the hands of children.”
She says safety laws required devices with button batteries to be properly secured (such as with a screw) with child-resistant packaging that carries warnings.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND DO
- Button batteries can cause quick, serious and life-threatening burns if swallowed or inserted into the body.
- Experts warn that once swallowed, a battery can burn through a child’s oesophagus in less than two hours.
- Children can develop life-threatening bleeding, infections, sepsis and injuries to their chest.
- Long-term injuries from battery ingestions can prevent some children from eating normally ever again.
- Children under the age of four are at the highest risk of death while the peak age for ingestion is children between the ages of one and two.
- Doctors warn that ingestions are not always witnessed and that symptoms often appear vague, delaying diagnosis and treatment.
- Symptoms include chest pain, coughing, vomiting, trouble swallowing, food refusal and abdominal pain but sometimes there may be no symptoms.
In the event of a suspected button battery ingestion, families should immediately call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.
Children should not be given food or drink, and parents should not try to induce vomiting.
For details, visit the SA Health website.
