5 to 10 cases of toddlers ingesting lithium battery that power toys being reported in a month; experts say the cell starts burning a hole within an hour in the oesophagus, causing damage
Although most cases of button battery ingestion end uneventfully, those batteries found in toys and in many common household items can erode the vital organs, and if lodged in the oesophagus can result in serious complications. Paediatric gastroenterologists in the city say that they are getting five to 10 cases of toddlers with foreign bodies in their digestive system every month. Button batteries can cause catastrophic damage to the oesophagus in an hour. Recently, an 11-month-old boy swallowed a button-sized lithium battery. When he was taken to hospital after suffering respiratory problems, an X-ray and an emergency endoscopy revealed that the infant required a major open surgery.
Experts say the biggest danger is when parents don’t realise their child has swallowed a button battery, and simply think their child is coming down with something, with symptoms including coughing and fever. In yet another case, a two-yearold swallowed two button batteries, but he was taken to the hospital just in time and batteries were removed.
However, a nine-month-old toddler, who also ingested a button battery, was not so lucky. It caused perforations in his large intestine which led to internal bleeding. “Earlier, toys were safer and children used to ingest coins. Since past couple of years, incidents of toddlers ingesting button batteries are rising. Children are also consuming plastic parts which get caught in the oesophagus,” said Dr. Vishnu Biradar, a consultant paediatric gastroenterologist at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital.
Dr. Ashish Bavdekar, consultant paediatric gastroenterologist at King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEM) said, “Button batteries are most dangerous as they can cause severe damage within a few hours. Immediate hospital care is needed if a child has swallowed one.”
Although it is critical that toys given to children be age appropriate, many parents don’t pay any heed to the instructions. Children also end up ingesting earrings, screws and clips. Explaining the precautions to be taken, Dr Shreeprasad Patankar, paediatric surgeon at Bharati Hospital, said, “Two to three-year-olds need supervision. Since they crawl and their vision is limited, they ingest whatever they see because of their natural curiosity. Since it is impossible to keep a constant vigil on them, parents should ensure that there are no loose parts of toys lying around.”
X-Rays of children who have ingested button cells and plastic toy parts (center).
Such incidents have been found to be rising over the past two years.
