Children swallow all sorts of things that I have to retrieve as an emergency procedure.
The scariest for me as a Consultant Paediatric Surgeon is the big powerful lithium-ion button battery.
That is because if one of these batteries gets stuck in a child's food pipe it can cause catastrophic internal bleeding or even death. Tragically at least 2 children die every year from swallowing a button battery.
Help me spread the word about the risks by sharing this post.
It is really important that we keep objects that contain button batteries out of reach of our children and that you act quickly if you think your child may have swallowed one.
This video shows the deadly button battery at work:
This video show the tragedy that button batteries can cause:
More information
Learn more about the risks of button batteries.
Know about where children can find button batteries.
Understand why flat batteries are still dangerous.
Download top tips about how to protect your children from button batteries.
Find out what to do in an emergency if you think your child has swallowed a button battery.