My child has swallowed a battery! What should I do?

“In 2020, we received 305 calls concerning accidents involving batteries”, says Dr. Martine Mostin of the Poison Centre. “It doesn’t always involve ingestion, but also incidents of skin contact with leaking batteries. Of the 305 calls, 167 victims (54.7%) were under the age of 14."

Swallowed battery? This is what you should do

Do not let your child eat or drink any more. Vomiting or administering activated charcoal is pointless.
If there is the slightest suspicion of ingestion, go to the emergency room immediately. After an initial examination, the emergency doctor will immediately prescribe an X-ray of the chest and abdomen. Even if your child has no complaints whatsoever.
If the battery is still in the oesophagus, a doctor will immediately remove it using an endoscope. A battery stuck in the oesophagus is life-threatening and can cause a puncture within as little as two hours.
If the battery is already in the stomach, then it will be necessary to wait until it comes out again in the stool. This usually takes about four days. If the battery is larger than 23 millimetres in diameter, it will be removed endoscopically. If, in the days following ingestion, your child refuses to eat, has difficulty swallowing, vomits, has abdominal pain or black stools, further investigations will be required.
What if the battery doesn't come out the natural way after more than 4 days? Then, the doctor will take a second X-ray. The longer it stays in the stomach, the higher the chance that it will open up due to gastric acid. If the battery is still in the stomach, it will be removed by means of an endoscope. If not, the doctor will prescribe a high-fibre diet, a laxative or a combination of both.

Being a child also involves 'experimenting'. They see batteries as the perfect toy, craft material, lollipop or candy.

How likely is it that something will go seriously wrong?

Usually, no treatment is needed when a battery has been swallowed. On rare occasions, the battery gets stuck in the stomach or intestines, but fewer than 10% of victims experience problems after ingesting a battery and fewer than 1% experience serious symptoms. Over the last 10 years, however, doctors have seen an increase in the number of serious injuries. This is because there are an increasing number of larger lithium batteries (more than 2 cm in diameter), which can get stuck in the oesophagus more easily.

Once the battery reaches the intestines, the chances of it opening are small because the acidity level in the intestines is fairly neutral. To date, no heavy metal poisoning has ever been diagnosed, although small amounts of lithium or mercury can end up in your body.

If the patient experiences blood loss, abdominal pain, an urge to vomit, refuses to eat and fever, and the doctor cannot reach the battery with an endoscope, it must be surgically removed.

Battery in the nose or ear?

Being a child also involves 'experimenting'. Children can view batteries as the perfect toy, craft material, lollipop or candy. It sometimes happens that children dare to put a (button cell) battery in their nose or ear.

A battery in your body can also cause damage to your tissues if it leaks or due to pressure. It’s therefore important to remove it from the ear or nose as soon as possible. Are you in doubt? Contact a doctor as soon as possible, preferably a nose, throat and ear specialist.

Tips for preventing accidents

Provide a permanent place for batteries, like the handy collection cube you get free of charge from Bebat. Not only for the safety of children, but also for that of adults. Especially older people can sometimes confuse the batteries of their hearing aids with their medication and accidentally swallow a button cell.
Buy batteries in blister packs: children cannot open them easily.
Bring used batteries immediately to a Bebat collection point. You can close your Bebat collection cube and use it to transport the batteries.
When buying toys or household appliances, make sure that the battery holder can only be opened with a screwdriver or a coin.
Do not change batteries in the presence of children.
Do not allow children to play with batteries.
Never put a battery in your mouth, e.g. to 'hold it' while changing a battery.