Termite Inspection Orange County Termite Terry Pest Control

Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, South Orange County, Long Beach Area

Button Batteries Are Responsible For Over 7,000 Children Visiting Emergency Rooms Each Year!

Button batteries, also known as disc batteries, are frequently used today in remote controls, toys, key fobs, watches, cameras, and even in “singing” greeting cards. These small batteries are a source of potential injury, or even death, if ingested by a child.

The journal Pediatrics recently published an article. In it they stated that between 2010 and 2019, we had an annual rate of 7,032 children being admitted into emergency rooms due to battery ingestion. That is more than double the annual rate for the years between 1990 and 2009. They also said that 84.2% of these patients were less than five-years old.

The larger button batteries present the greater risk because they can lodge in the esophagus. The smaller ones can also cause severe or life-threatening esophageal injuries, especially for children who are less than one-year old. When the electrical current from these batteries comes in contact with wet tissue, it causes a chemical reaction that can severely burn the esophagus in as little as two hours. Even worse, the damage can even progress well after the battery has been removed.

When a child puts one of these batteries in their ear, it can lead to a perforated eardrum, hearing loss, and facial nerve paralysis. Nasal insertions can cause severe damage to nasal tissues and the nasal septum.

If a child swallows a battery, or puts one in their ear or nose, call 911 or take your child to an emergency room, immediately. You have no time to spare!

Starting today, please make sure that all of these “button battery” devices are safely put away and out of reach – your child’s life may depend on it.