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4 Ways to Prevent Children from Swallowing Things that Aren’t Food.

Let’s take a look at the stats! The rate of young children swallowing foreign objects has almost doubled over the past twenty years. The Dangers of Button Batteries- Numbers on the Rise The number of kids needing treatment for batteries placed in their mouths, noses and ears has doubled in the last decade. The small batteries called button batteries and lithium coin batteries can be found in remotes, toys, scales, thermometers, lights, and greeting cards. But the batteries, which are…

Let’s take a look at the stats!

The rate of young children swallowing foreign objects has almost doubled over the past twenty years.

Every year in the U.S., more than 80,000 kids under the age of 3 swallow things that aren’t food.
Coins are the most common object children swallowed, according to “Foreign Body Ingestions of Young Children Treated in US Emergency Departments: 1995-2015,” (Orsagh-Yentis D, et al. Pediatrics. April 12, 2019)
About 62% of the swallowed items were coins, 10% were toys, 7% were jewelry and just under 7% were batteries.
Among hospitalized children, coins were the most common item swallowed (80%) followed by batteries (6%).

The Dangers of Button Batteries- Numbers on the Rise

The number of kids needing treatment for batteries placed in their mouths, noses and ears has doubled in the last decade. The small batteries called button batteries and lithium coin batteries can be found in remotes, toys, scales, thermometers, lights, and greeting cards. But the batteries, which are small, round and shiny, can pose a significant health threat to young children who swallow them. Swallowing a button battery is dangerous because the battery generates an electric current when it comes into contact with bodily fluids like saliva that can burn through a child’s body tissue.

Prevention – Advice for Caregivers

Remember children are curious and tend to put objects in their mouth and accidentally swallow them.

Store purses and wallets up high.
Don’t leave remotes in spaces kids can reach.
Make sure that older children keep their small toys away from your child.
Place anything electronic out of reach when it’s no longer in use.

Parents must be vigilant, he said. The toy industry has already embraced voluntary standards requiring locking mechanisms on battery compartments, so other household devices may pose a more serious threat.

“The big worry now is consumer electronic devices, like remote controls,” said Dr. Brumbaugh. “Toddlers throw them against walls, or the floor, and the compartments pop open.”

If parents believe their child has swallowed a battery, or put it in their nose or ears, they should call poison control and head to the emergency department immediately. “If you suspect your child has swallowed a battery accidentally, get them to help right away,” Dr. Jacobs urged. “I mean, don’t even hesitate.”

Take caution and be aware of what’s in your home. Need an x-ray? Visit BlueRock Medical today. Schedule an appointment at 801-229-2002.

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