Hidden Dangers for Children: Batteries Can Pose Real Threat
Keep battery-controlled devices away from small children and lock up loose batteries.
As Safe Kids Coordinator for Union County, Susan Driscoll urges parents to keep battery-controlled devices out of sight and out of reach of small children and to lock away loose batteries. Mini remote controls, cards that sing, flameless tea lights and many more electronic devices have something in common: they are powered by coin lithium batteries, which children might mistake for a nickel. The batteries inside, if swallowed, can get stuck in a child’s throat and cause serious injury, disability, and even death, and it is preventable. Parents should also tell friends, family members, sitters and caregivers about this important issue. When a battery gets stuck in a child’s throat, the saliva triggers an electrical current, which in turn …
