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B.C. injury prevention unit issues PSA for button battery poisonings

From 2021 to 2023, the BC Drug and Poison Information Centre managed 159 cases of button battery exposures, with 55% of them involving babies and children ages five and under.
Jess Balzer
Jess Balzer
buttonbatterygetty01
Button batteries are small and shiny, which can be enticing to a child to sawllow. Antonio Carlos Soria Hernandez/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Button batteries are more of a risk than most realize, a message the BC Injury Research Prevention Unit is issuing ahead of National Poison Prevention Week. 

The button battery, also known as a disc or coin battery, is flat and shiny.

They're used mainly for watches, cameras, hearing aids, alarm clocks, bathroom scales, key fobs and other items, but they can be a major hazard for children, who may think they're safe to eat because of size and appearance. 

The organization says children under the age of six are at the highest risk of ingesting the batteries. 

Data from 2021 to 2023 shows the BC Drug and Poison Information Centre managed 159 cases involving button battery exposure, with more than half involving babies and children aged five and under.

National Poison Prevention Week runs from March 16 to 22, with organizations and experts issuing a warning to parents of young children, especially. 

A knowledge survey surrounding batteries, which has been distributed to B.C. residents and runs online until March 31, has found to date that 86.7 per cent of respondents are aware that swallowing a button battery can cause serious injury, even death.

Many respondents were not sure what they should do if a child swallows a button battery. 

  • 81.2 per cent of respondents to date said to go to the emergency room immediately (correct)
  • 49.6 per cent said to contact the BC Drug and Poison Information Centre (correct)
  • 16.4 per cent said to induce the child to throw up or vomit (incorrect)
  • 7.6 per cent said to check the diaper, potty or toilet until the button passes (incorrect)
  • 1.6 per cent knew to give honey to a child if they are older than one year old, which helps coat the battery until help is available (2.2 per cent of respondents who identified as parents were aware)

When a battery is swallowed, symptoms can include gagging or choking, coughing or noisy breathing, pain or irritability, drooling, unexplained vomiting or food refusal, abdominal pain, nose bleeds and unusual odour, discharge or bleeding coming from the ears, nose or eyes.