First aid for children and batteries
"Look, mommy, a candy!" Little children often don't realize that batteries are not toys or candies. What measures can you take to make your home a safe play area? And what should you do if your son or daughter still runs off with a battery?
Keep out of reach of children
The most important tip we can give you is very simple: keep batteries out of sight and out of reach of your children.
Collect used batteries in a small box in the garage or storage room, preferably at a height that children cannot reach. Regularly deposit the contents of this box in a Bebat collection box. That’s one less thing for you to worry about.
In addition, you undoubtedly also have some toys or household appliances with batteries in your house. Check if the battery compartments of these items are securely closed - if necessary reinforce them with some extra tape - or keep the appliances out of reach of grabby hands.
Help, the battery is leaking
A battery can sometimes leak, and this results in white granules or a liquid that adheres to the outside of the battery. How this happens and how you can prevent this process, you can read in this blog post.
The culprit in a leaking battery is the conductive fluid. An alkaline battery contains a corrosive liquid. If your child comes into contact with this liquid, it can cause burns. Contact with the white granules or crystals can cause mild irritation to the skin in some cases. Therefore, it's better not to touch the crystals without gloves.
Zinc-carbon batteries also release a corrosive substance when the battery leaks. This does not apply to lithium batteries, as they contain an organic conductive fluid. This can also cause mild irritation, but the likelihood of this happening is small: lithium batteries are much less susceptible to leaking.
What should you do if your child gets hold of a leaking battery?
Rinse your hands immediately with running water. If burns do occur, contact your general doctor. If your child has licked a leaking battery with white crystals, contact the poison control center immediately. If the electrolyte is still in liquid form during contact, it is best to go straight to the hospital or doctor.
My child has swallowed a battery
The use of button batteries is increasing, and so is the chance that a child will swallow one. This is a major concern for doctors, who are increasingly needing to intervene. Battery manufacturers are trying to reduce the risk by including a warning on their packaging and providing information on their websites.
If your son or daughter puts a battery in their mouth, it is important to stay calm. Don't let your child eat or drink anything else and go immediately to the nearest emergency department. At the hospital, the medical staff will determine the exact location of the battery. If you still have the battery's packaging or the device the battery was in, bring it with you so the doctor can determine what type of battery it is. If you know what type of battery it is, don't forget to inform the doctor.
If the battery is stuck in the esophagus, it can be immediately removed via a gastroscopy. If the battery has meanwhile made its way to the stomach, the doctor will assume that the button cell will continue on its natural path. If your child suddenly suffers from abdominal pain or nausea (or any other noticeable complaint) in the days following the ingestion, it is best to check with the doctor.
