Keep children safe from button batteries

Lisburn and Castlereagh Home Accident Prevention Group in partnership with the Council is raising awareness of the dangers of Button Lithium batteries if ingested following a number of recent serious injuries suffered by children in the UK.

 

These small round batteries are found in many objects throughout the home from children’s toys (should be behind a screw enclosed area) to car key fobs and calculators.

 

Lisburn and Castlereagh Home Accident Prevention Group wants to make parents and carers aware of the potential dangers associated with button batteries. They are a choking hazard and when ingested they can release an electric charge which creates caustic soda inside the body.  This can then burn through parts of the body such as the throat and major blood vessels, causing a child to bleed to death. This can happen in as little as two hours. If you have spare button batteries, please ensure you store them out of reach and sight of children, ideally in a high-up, lockable cupboard.

 

Other products in the home that can contain button batteries include: hearing aids; small remote controls; musical greeting cards; children’s thermometers; flameless candles and nightlights.

 

All parents and carers are encouraged to search their homes for products with button batteries and make sure these items are not easily accessible to younger children.

 

If you suspect that a child has swallowed a battery, it is vital to act fast. Take them straight to the A&E Department at your local hospital or dial 999 for an ambulance. Remember, it may not be obvious that a battery is stuck in a child’s throat. They may be breathing normally, or simply develop cold or flu-like symptoms.

 

For further information contact your Local Council’s Home Safety Officer on 028 9049 4583.