Photo courtesy dreamstime.com

By Erika Rolling

Kid Safety

AHS warning parents of button battery dangers during the holidays

Dec 19, 2023 | 11:16 AM

With Christmas less than a week away, Alberta Health Services wants to remind parents about the dangers of button batteries, especially to children if they are swallowed.

These types of batteries are commonly found in electronic items such as toys, games, cameras, and flashing shoes just to name a few.

Button batteries are often mistaken by young children as food or candy due to their small size and round shape.

If one is swallowed, button batteries can cause chemical burns and destroy the upper digestive tract tissue. In severe cases, it can also lead to death.

The provincial health authority adds damage from swallowing them can be rapid, especially if it gets stuck in the esophagus instead of moving into the stomach.

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They say if you suspect your child has swallowed a button battery, you should take them immediately to the nearest emergency department; never make them try to vomit.

To keep children safe this holiday season and all other times:

• Where possible, choose products that do not use button batteries
• Keep batteries locked up, out of reach and out of sight of the tiny hands of children
• Supervise kids when they use products containing button batteries.
• Ensure children do not play with batteries or are able to remove them. Only buy and use products where the battery is secured, so your child cannot open it; for example, battery covers that are secured by screws.
• Make sure there are not loose batteries on tables, floors, or counters.
• Safely dispose/store batteries
• Cover the ends of batteries with tape even if they are dead. Dead batteries can still cause harm if swallowed.

In the first ten months of 2023, there were 40 injuries in children related to button and other small batteries reported through emergency departments in Alberta.