Button batteries pose 'deadly' risk to toddlers

my3cents

There was a piece on BBC Radio 4 this morning which I thought was worth mentioning here.

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-37410343

If accidentally swallowed, the small, round batteries can get lodged in the oesophagus and burn a hole through its lining.
London's Great Ormond Street Hospital has seen a big increase in cases in the past year.
Surgeon Kate Cross said: "Button batteries should be treated like poison and kept out of reach of children."

jonon9

Well to be honest no young child should be playing with any type of battery it's common sense really.

my3cents

jonon9 wrote: »

Well to be honest no young child should be playing with any type of battery it's common sense really.

I quite agree but do we all keep them out of childrens reach the same way we do medicine?

There is the added issue that used button batteries can hang around in accessible places in the home waiting to be recycled.

robinph

The thing they should be putting warnings out about is people being daft and not having enough common sense to not let kids play with batteries, sharp pointy things, hot things, things they will fall off, bitey animals etc without having a health warning spelt out to them first in big letters.

jonon9

my3cents wrote: »

I quite agree but do we all keep them out of childrens reach the same way we do medicine?

There is the added issue that used button batteries can hang around in accessible places in the home waiting to be recycled.

Yes when my nine year old was a toddler exploring the house we made sure no batteries were around along with other items of course.

antix80

my3cents wrote: »

I quite agree but do we all keep them out of childrens reach the same way we do medicine?

Bad luck if ya don't... Add to the list poorly trained large dogs, ornamental ponds, window blind cords, reversing cars in the driveway, chests of drawers not secured to the wall, unsupervised toddlers in the bathtub, and (esp drunk or overtired) parents sharing the bed with a child.

I'm sure deaths are in the single digits every year, but those examples are what i think are the most preventable causes of accidental death.. whatever else about injuries caused by falls, poisoning, scalds and burns.

Then you have mary from tallaght setting up facebook pages to raise awareness so no one else has to go through what she went through. Or a judge deciding prosecution isn't in the public interest because she's suffered enough already. And people saying "sure you can't wrap them in cotton wool". Honestly, it's common sense a lot of it.

fro9etb8j5qsl2

Add those shiny clicky magnets to that list.

https://www.google.ie/search?q=large+attracted+magnets&client=ms-android-h3g-ie&prmd=ivsn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwii8KOEiqPPAhVMDcAKHSgjBzwQ_AUIBygB&biw=360&bih=560#tbm=isch&q=big+shiny+magnets&imgrc=As9yXSxVr-zyKM%3A

They are sold in most euro and novelty shops and almost marketed as toys for kids but if more than 1 magnet is swallowed, it can cause absolute havoc and can have catastrophic results.

Miaireland

I think the reason that they are alerting people about these button batteries is that they are in some kids toys and when they are changed that people to do put back the screws to hold the back in place and kids get access to the battery.

An article came up on my news feed the other day and it showed someone putting one of these batteries into a raw sausage for two hours. The pictures looked scary

pwurple

my3cents wrote: »

jonon9 wrote: »

Well to be honest no young child should be playing with any type of battery it's common sense really.

I quite agree but do we all keep them out of childrens reach the same way we do medicine?

There is the added issue that used button batteries can hang around in accessible places in the home waiting to be recycled.

I think the used ones are not quite as dangerous. They shouldn't have power left. Still poisonous no doubt, but I don't think they would burn.