Battery-related Pediatric Emergency Department Visits More Than Double

Button batteries, those small, disk-shaped batteries that power everything from watches and toys to remote controls and small flashlights, are increasingly found around the home, and more young children are getting injured. A new study, “Pediatric Battery-Related Emergency Department Visits in the United States: 2010–2019,” in the September 2022 Pediatrics (published online Aug. 29) found that there were more than twice the number of battery-related emergency department (ED) visits for children, ages 18 and younger, from 2010 to 2019, compared to 1990 to 2009. Researchers studied data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System and found an estimated 70,322 battery-related ED visits among children, with the majority among children ages 5 and younger, and 90% of ED visits tied to battery ingestions. Other injuries were tied to battery insertions into the nose (5.7%), ears (2.5%), and mouth (1.8%). Button batteries generate an electric current when swallowed, killing and liquifying living tissue. This injury can progress even after the battery is removed, leading to delayed complications, which can be life threatening. There was an average of 1 battery-related pediatric ED visit every 1.25 hours during 2010–2019 (compared to 2.66 hours during 1990–2009), with an average patient age of 3.2 years. Researchers concluded that despite all injury prevention efforts, battery-related ED visits are increasingly common, and that new laws and safer battery designs are needed to reduce or eliminate battery-related injuries.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.