If Your Child Swallows a Button Battery, It’s an Emergency

There are around 6,000 pediatric ER visits for button battery ingestion every year in the United States. If you even suspect your child may have swallowed a button battery, take them to the emergency room immediately for surgery. Ingesting a battery can cause severe and potentially permanent damage to a child’s esophagus or digestive tract in as little as two hours. Pediatrician Cindy Gellner, MD, discusses how to keep your kids safe and why button batteries can be so dangerous.