Did You Know?
- Button batteries were involved in 84 percent of all battery-related emergency room visits for which a battery type was identified.
- The number of serious injuries or deaths as a result of button batteries has increased more than nine fold in the past decade.
- When a button battery gets stuck in a child’s throat, the saliva triggers an electrical current that causes a chemical reaction that can burn the esophagus.
- Once burning begins, damage can continue even after the battery is removed.
Working For Change
Safe Kids works to share life-saving information with parents and caregivers about the potential risks of swallowing button batteries.
These coin-sized button batteries can lodge in the throats of children. The saliva immediately triggers an electrical current that causes a chemical reaction that can severely burn the esophagus in as little as two hours. In some cases, children have died from their injuries.
The Safe Kids program shines a light on a growing issue and provides easy steps that parents and caregivers can take to prevent injuries and death to children. These tips for prevention and treatment are distributed through the Safe Kids network of more than 400 coalitions throughout the United States.
We also work with family advocates, who courageously share their stories to inspire donors, parents, legislators, sponsors and the media to come together and get involved.
Safe Kids supports legislation such as the Button Cell Battery Safety Act and works with other industry experts and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to prevent injury through packaging warnings and innovation.
We also offer the following tools to teach and remind families about button battery safety: