New Law Will Protect Children From Life-Threatening Battery Injuries

Healthcare New Law Will Protect Children From Life-Threatening Battery Injuries Nina Shapiro Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Dispelling health myths, fads, exaggerations and misconceptions. Following New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories.

Got it! Sep 7, 2022, 05:52pm EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Button batteries. getty Disc batteries, also known as button batteries, are increasingly used in television remotes, toys, key fobs, watches and cameras. These small silver objects, ranging in size from as small as a raisin to as large as a nickel or quarter, are a source of potential injury, and even death, in young children.

These shiny, coin-like discs are appealing and commonly grabbed by toddlers, who may find them on the ground or loose in a toy’s battery compartment. As toddlers are curious, and are renowned for placing all sorts of objects in their noses, ears, and mouths, these slippery little discs can end up in any of these orifices. While swallowing a coin, also a “fun” albeit mildly dangerous, party trick that toddlers like to perform, is a possible big nuisance, and surprisingly common, batteries themselves, unlike coins, can cause serious harm.

Infant chewing on remote control. getty According to an article published in this month’s journal Pediatrics , ingestion of foreign objects such as button batteries is the fourth leading cause of calls to poison control centers in children under age 5 years. The largest disc batteries can do the most damage to the esophagus if swallowed, as they often get lodged in one place to fester.

But even the tiny disc batteries can cause harm, especially in children under age one year. The electrical current generated when the battery touches wet tissue breaks down water molecules into hydroxide ions. These ions have a dangerously high pH (alkaline, not acidic), which can lead to irreversible tissue damage.

This damage can continue well after the battery has been either fully swallowed into the stomach (where the acidic pH can help neutralize the dangerous hydroxide ions) or has been surgically removed. Damage begins to occur within one to two hours after ingestion. Witnessing a child swallowing a battery of any size warrants immediate medical attention.

Large batteries are easily seen on an X-ray of the neck and/or chest. X-Ray of button battery stuck in a child’s upper esophagus getty Batteries that are placed into the ears or nose also require urgent attention, as within several hours, severe damage to the ear canal, ear drum, and middle ear structures can occur, as well as severe damage to the nasal tissues and nasal septum. Urgent removal is necessary.

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Before the FDA Clinical or Safety Reviews Have Been Made Public If a child is over age one year and swallows a battery, feeding them teaspoons of honey (while not delaying a trip to the emergency room) may help to coat the outer layer of the battery and reduce severe injury. Children under age one year should not eat any form of honey, as they are not yet able to protect themselves from a rare infection caused by clostridium botulinum , a bacteria found in some honey products. This month’s article looked at the incidence of battery ingestions between 2010 and 2019.

Over 7,000 emergency room visits due to battery ingestion occurred annually in the United States during that time period, which was more than double the annual rate seen between 1990 and 2009. This is likely, in large part, due to increased use and availability of button batteries in household products and children’s toys. Boy with toy quadcopter drone getty In 2012, the National Button Battery Task Force was formed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Broncho-Esophagological Association in efforts to provide education and promote legislation for better safety measures, minimizing battery-related injuries.

It is now required that lithium batteries in products need two layers of casing, or a locked compartment. In addition, in 2017, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) required that toys made for children under age 14 years with disc batteries contain specific warning labels as well as description of risks of battery ingestion. In 2020, Duracell created a non-toxic bitter tasting coating for disc batteries, in efforts to lessen the swallowing episodes in toddlers.

While it has yet to be determined if this effort helped, similar bitter taste was added to antifreeze to minimize ingestion, and there was found to be no benefit in reduction of injury events. Pouring antifreeze liquid getty Reese Hamsmith was an 18-month-old child who suffered severe internal organ damage, and tragically died, after ingesting a disc battery at her home in Texas in 2020. Her story and many other horrific events such as hers led to the enactment of “Reese’s Law” in August 2022, which received bipartisan support.

There are several components to this law, including requirement for child safety packaging as well as detailed warning labels. One aspect includes that the CPSC will require that button and disc batteries are sold separately from certain products, especially those made for use by children. In addition, disc batteries must be secured with child safety protection in products, and warning labels must be clearly delineated regarding risks of disc batteries, even if they are removed from the product due to battery inactivity.

Even so-called “dead” batteries oftentimes continue to carry an electrical charge which can cause damage if swallowed. Moreover, instructions on seeking medical attention must be clearly explained in product packaging. The increased use of lithium disc, or button batteries has seen with it increased risks of harm to children.

The efforts on the part of both educators and legislators may help to reduce these events. Time will tell if these initiatives will, indeed, keep children out of emergency rooms, operating rooms, intensive care units, or worse. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn .

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