The Button Battery… a Small Item That Can Cause a Big Problem

Button batteries, also known as lithium coin batteries, are small silver disk-shaped batteries that are used in many items such as toys, greeting cards, remote controls, shoes, watches, and hearing aids. If swallowed, or placed in the nose or in the ears, they can cause serious injury or, in extreme cases, even death.¹ If a button battery is swallowed, it can get stuck in the throat and cause severe burns. When this happens, the person may need surgery to remove it. The large coin-size button batteries are more likely to get stuck in the throat or digestive tract. If a person swallows a button battery, they may have trouble speaking or swallowing, or they may not have any symptoms at all.²

Children are at risk for swallowing button batteries because they are naturally curious and often learn by putting things in their mouths. Young children also have smaller throats, so it is easier for a button battery to get stuck if swallowed. Older kids and adults who have intellectual disabilities like autism also face the risk of button battery exposures.³

Some well-known companies that make button batteries have taken steps in recent years to help prevent harm such as selling them in child-resistant packaging, adding a dye that will color the mouth so you can see if a child tried to eat it, and adding a non-toxic bitter coating so kids are more likely to spit it out rather than swallow it. These steps help but do not prevent all button battery injuries, and not all companies take these extra safety measures.

Call poison control right away if a button battery is swallowed. It can take as little as two hours for the button battery to cause harm if caught somewhere in the body.¹ Even if the person is not having symptoms, damage inside the body could be happening. The longer the amount of time the button battery is in the body, the greater risk of harm. It is important to get medical help right away if you think someone swallowed a button battery.²

To prevent injury from button batteries, follow these poison prevention tips:

• Check your home for places where a button battery could be, such as in remote controls, toys, shoes, and watches so you know where they are.
• Secure button batteries in items by either covering battery compartments with strong tape or tightly fastening the screw.
• Do not allow children to play with loose batteries or items that have battery compartments that open easily.
• Store loose button batteries up and away from children.
• Even dead batteries can still be harmful. Before recycling or throwing away, cover with tape both horizontally and vertically so battery is fully covered.⁴
• Call the poison control center right away if you suspect a button battery has been swallowed. Getting help quickly is very important 1-800-222-1222.

References

1. Lahmar J, Célérier C, Garabédian EN, Couloigner V, Leboulanger N, Denoyelle F. Esophageal lesions following button-battery ingestion in children: Analysis of causes and proposals for preventive measures. Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis. 2018 Apr;135(2):91-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anorl.2017.09.004. Epub 2017 Oct 18. PMID: 29054752.
2. Townsend, J. A., & Curran, R. (2016). Oral Exposure of a Child to a Lithium Ion Battery. Journal of Dentistry for Children, 83(1), 42-45.
3. Schoem SR, Rosbe KW, Bearelly S. Aerodigestive foreign bodies and caustic ingestions. In: Flint PW, Haughey BH, Lund V, et al, eds. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2015:chap 207.
4. Silas Chao, Hannah Gibbs, Keith Rhoades, Christopher Mehrer, Ian N. Jacobs, Kris R. Jatana,
   Button battery taping and disposal: Risk reduction strategies for the household setting, International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Volume 153, 2022, 111008, ISSN 0165-5876, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijporl.2021.111008.