Thursday, March 12, 2026

Button batteries burn meat in 90 minutes – and they’re increasingly being swallowed by children | UK News

The number of children needing surgery after ingesting button batteries is rising, according to a leading paediatric surgeon. The increase is in line with trends seen in the US where serious child ingestion accidents involving the small batteries have increased sevenfold over the past 20 years.
Paolo De Coppi from London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital told Sky News: “We have seen a huge increase of children being admitted to hospital and having tremendous operations because of button batteries.”During COVID some of the early symptoms those children had, like choking, could be misinterpreted as symptoms of COVID.”Mr De Coppi warned that these batteries, found in everyday items such as watches, hearing aids and toys, are attractive to toddlers and young children because they are shiny and small enough to fit into their mouths.
He added: “Even if they’re not fully…

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