Tiny Dangers: Magnets and Button Batteries
Everyone knows that children put things in their mouths. Food, fingers, toys, dirt, coins, plants…ALL OF THE THINGS. Young children explore the world through their mouths. Older children may be curious or have oral fixations. Anything that is small enough to fit completely inside the mouth has the potential to be swallowed, either accidentally or intentionally.
Some of the things that end up in children’s mouths are more concerning than others. We will be discussing two of the most dangerous today: magnets and button batteries.
Magnet Toys
Many families have refrigerators covered in magnetic alphabet sets. These provide hours of entertainment for small children, helping them to learn letters and encouraging creativity at the same time. These are NOT the type of magnets we are discussing today. There is another type of magnet that has grown in popularity – the high-powered magnet set. These are composed of many small cube or ball-shaped magnets (sometimes hundreds) that adhere tightly together and can be manipulated into gravity-defying shapes.
Until 2016 there was a ban on the sale of high-powered magnet sets. Since the ban was overturned, these sets are sold in stores around the country. Technically designed for adults, these sets can commonly be found in households where small children live or visit. These pose a very particular and very dangerous risk in children: if swallowed, these powerful magnets pull together with enough force to compress the walls of the digestive system and cause serious and life-threatening damage through erosion and lack of blood flow.
If your young child lives in or visits a home that contains high-powered magnet sets, be aware of the danger of ingestion. Obviously, avoidance of exposure is best. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly advises against having high-powered magnet sets in the homes in which children are present.
Recognize the symptoms of magnet ingestion. If your child has abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever after any exposure to magnets, he or she should be evaluated right away. Delaying treatment can lead to severe intestinal issues and even death. If you find magnets in the hands or mouth of your young child be vigilant for any concerning symptoms. Contact your pediatrician immediately, or take your child to the nearest ER if you suspect ingestion has occurred, even if symptoms have not yet developed.
If your child has been injured by magnet toys, please consider reporting the incident to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This agency is tasked with ensuring safety standards of children’s toys and other products.
Button Batteries
Button or “coin” batteries are very appealing to children. They are round, shiny, and small. They fit easily in tiny fists and mouths.
They are also incredibly dangerous if swallowed. Each year thousands of children are treated in emergency departments around the country for ingestion of button and coin batteries. The issue occurs when the battery comes into contact with the body’s natural fluids and creates a current. If the battery gets stuck somewhere – in the airway, esophagus, or other part of the digestive tract – it can burn a hole in the body’s lining. Infection, serious injury, bleeding, and death can occur. This progression can be hard to prevent because it can be very difficult to know when a child has ingested a button battery unless it is witness. This is especially true in very young children who are not yet fully verbal.
Unfortunately, button batteries are commonly found in the house in small electronic devices. These include remote controls, hearing aids, calculators, flameless candles, bathroom scales, cameras, key fobs, musical greeting cards, and many other common household devices. Many times these devices are not child-proof, and batteries fall out easily if the device is dropped.
Parents can protect children from exposure to these batteries by taping shut devices, disposing of old batteries immediately, and storing new batteries in locations out of reach of all children.
Please take your child immediately to the nearest ER if you suspect ingestion has occurred and tell the physician about your concerns. Time is definitely of the essence in these cases.
Final thoughts
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, children put so many things in their mouths. Many of these things are not dangerous – gross, perhaps, but not dangerous. However, particular attention must be placed on magnet toys and button batteries due to the high potential for devastating results. Ingestion of either of these objects can be silent, unwitnessed, and potentially life-threatening. It is imperative that parents child-proof homes against this risk.
Also, please take the time to consider signing the petition at change.org for improved legislation on button batteries. This site is run by a woman named Jackie Huff, who lost her young son Jonathan due to a button battery ingestion. You can read more about Jonathan’s story here. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the “Parent to Parent” section.
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