Batteries – keeping your baby safe

Many toys and household items contain batteries. The smaller ones – known as button batteries, or coin batteries – are particularly worth looking out for. Not only are they the size of certain sweets and chocolates so easily swallowed, but they are powerful lithium batteries that will cause damage. 

How can they cause harm? 

Button batteries are becoming a common cause of admission to hospitals in the UK and worldwide, with the Great Ormond Street Hospital seeing one admission a month.  

It is reported that babies and young children either swallow batteries or try to stick them in their ears or up their noses.  

If a button battery gets stuck in your baby’s food pipe, or is ingested, it doesn’t take long for a battery to cause harm.^[1] 

Batteries have been known to cause internal damage by becoming lodged in the throat or creating an electrical current that burns as it travels through the body. 

Where will I find button batteries in the home? 

• Electronic toys  
• Watches 
• Calculators  
• Remote controls 
• Key fobs/car keys 
• LED lights 
• Digital thermometers 
• Monitoring devices 
• Greetings cards that make sound 
• LED candles 
• Digital weighing scales 
• Hearing aids 

What if the battery is dead? 

These are still harmful. Many forms of technology demand high power, so when a battery stops giving them the power they need, they stop working. This doesn’t mean that the battery has run out of power; it just doesn’t have enough for that device.  

What do I do if I am concerned about a battery being swallowed? 

ROSPA advice: 

• Go immediately to your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department. 
• Do not give your child anything to eat or drink or try to make them sick.   
• Try to find out what kind of battery they have swallowed, but do not delay taking them to hospital if you cannot immediately see what they have swallowed.  

Toy companies 

The toy industry has listened to the dangers caused by batteries, and many have adapted their toys to reflect this.^[1] You should see locking compartments and safety warnings on most toys. 

However, it would be worth checking your home to see whether there are any other devices that contain batteries. Your baby or child might throw or drop a toy or device leading to the compartment opening upon contact with a surface. The best advice is to keep all battery-operated devices well away from your baby unless you are with them. 

For more information: 

The risks – Child Accident Prevention Trust (capt.org.uk) 

Button batteries – The dangers of button batteries and how to stay safe – Home Safety - RoSPA 

References: 

[1] M.D. Chandler, K. Ilyas, K.R. Jatana, G.A. Smith, L.B. McKenzie, J. Morag MacKay. (2022). Pediatric Battery-Related Emergency Department Visits in the United States: 2010–2019. Available online at: Pediatric Battery-Related Emergency Department Visits in the United States: 2010–2019 | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics (aap.org)