Batteries in Christmas Toys Can Pose A Danger to Iowa Kids

If you unwrapped handheld games, watches, or other electronics this Christmas, many may include small, button-sized batteries — and experts say those batteries can be dangerous if a child swallows one.

Janna Day, a nurse and education and outreach manager at the Iowa Poison Control Center, says moisture in the throat can trigger a current in the battery, which can cause severe injury if it becomes lodged.

“The esophagus is that tube that goes from your mouth down to your stomach,” Day says. “And if a battery gets stuck there, it can cause some really significant burning. That can happen quite quickly, even within just a couple of hours.”

Day says button batteries can be found in many household items, including bathroom scales and hearing aids. If a battery is swallowed, she says it often requires an emergency room visit for X-rays.

“If you know that a child or somebody that you are around has ingested one of those small button batteries, call us right away,” Day says. “It is definitely an emergency situation.”

Day says other hazards can also be common this time of year, including ice melt products stored in garages.

“Keep your ice melt stored somewhere safely away from kids and away from pets,” Day says. “Keep it in its original packaging, just in case there is an ingestion.”

The Iowa Poison Control Center is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-222-1222.