A spoonful of honey can delay corrosive damage caused by button-battery ingestion in children as new research raises awareness of the risks associated with swallowing them.
Button batteries can be found in many household items, such as toys and remote controls.
The research from University of Galway highlights the injuries caused to young children who swallow them and that those aged between six months and six years are at particular risk.
It found 88 per cent of respondents surveyed were unaware that giving a child a spoon of honey can delay the corrosive damage.
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It also found that 87 per cent used button batteries in their homes but 65 per cent had not considered their safety and 68 per cent felt the packaging warnings were inadequate.
The research team highlighted the need to educate the public on the dangers of button batteries and said prevention, awareness and the development of safer technologies were key.
The study has been published in the peer reviewed international Journal of Laryngology & Otology.
If swallowed, a button battery can lodge in a child’s upper oesophagus. Within minutes of ingestion, the negative pole of the battery generates an electrical current that causes ongoing caustic, or burn, injury to the lining of the swallow passage.
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It also said that symptoms can be non-specific, leading to a delayed diagnosis. The batteries can erode through the oesophagus into the aorta, leading to serious bleeding and death.
Internationally, there are a number of reports of life-changing injuries and deaths due to button-battery ingestion.
The removal of a button battery is a time-critical emergency and safe removal requires an urgent endoscopy under general anaesthetic.
While some manufacturers are investing in research to develop safer button-battery technologies, significant risks to children remain, the report said.
In the US, button-battery ingestions increased from 745 in 1985 to 3,467 cases in 2019, according to the country’s National Poison Data System.
“In Ireland, button-battery ingestion occurs a number of times each year, and in otherwise healthy young children it can lead to devastating, long-term and sometimes fatal consequences,” said Prof Ivan Keogh, head of the Discipline of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology at the University of Galway and consultant otolaryngologist – head and neck surgeon at Galway University Hospital.
“Challenges persist regarding the design and marketing of button batteries and public awareness of the risks associated with ingestion. Action is required to prevent further tragedies.”
