Button cells Ingestion can cause serious health damage to infants

Small batteries: Ingestion may cause serious damage to children's health

Health experts advise parents to keep batteries out of the reach of children. Because swallowing button cells can lead to severe health problems. Hundreds of such cases have been reported in recent years.

Foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract

Much of what you put in your mouth ends up in the stomach unintentionally. Especially for small children that happens again and again. Swallowed small parts can lead to severe damage in the gastrointestinal tract. For some items, such as swallowed magnets, you should go to the doctor quickly. Even small batteries can be dangerous. They should therefore be kept out of the reach of children, advise the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the BfR Commission for the Evaluation of Poisoning.

Batteries should always be kept out of the reach of small children. For swallowed button cells can cause serious damage to health. (Image: Rido / fotolia.com)

Keep batteries out of the reach of infants

Button cells may become stuck in the esophagus when swallowed and severely damage the mucous membrane. The commission "Assessment of poisoning" of the BfR therefore advises caution.

According to the information received, the BfR has been informed of several hundred cases of clinics and poison information centers in the past ten years, which caused the ingestion of button cells.

The damage to health is triggered mainly by the discharge current of the battery.

"We therefore advise all parents to keep button cells out of the reach of infants and toddlers," recommends BfR President Professor Dr. med. Dr. Andreas Hensel in a message.

"After swallowing a button cell, an examination should be done immediately in a clinic," said the expert.

When the button cell gets stuck in the esophagus

With the proliferation of battery-powered devices in all walks of life, children can increasingly come into contact with button cells and swallow them.

The problem is when a button cell gets stuck in the esophagus, because the contact with the moist mucous membranes leads to the flow of current.

At the interface between button cell and mucous membrane thereby arise hydroxide ions, which can lead to serious burns.

There is a particular risk for infants swallowing large button cells (over 20 millimeters), as it is particularly likely to get stuck in the narrow, childish esophagus.

If the button cell can pass through the esophagus, complications are rarely expected. According to BfR, it is usually sufficient in these cases to wait for the natural separation of the button cell under medical supervision.

Complications can lead to death

If the button cell remains stuck in the esophagus, initially no symptoms develop or only a slight malaise.

After a few hours vomiting, loss of appetite, fever or coughing will occur.

In the further course, tissue damage occurs at the point of contact between the button cell and the esophagus, which can lead to bleeding and death of the tissue.

As a late consequence, the esophagus can narrow scarred. In rare cases, the complications can lead to death.

The stronger the battery is charged, the more pronounced the damage to health can be.

The BfR already recommends a justified investigation of the swallowing of a button cell for an immediate examination in the pediatric clinic. (Ad)