In 2010 alone, more than 3,400 button battery swallowing cases were reported in the U.S., resulting in 19 serious injuries and in some cases, deaths.
- The number of cases resulting in serious injury or death has more than quadrupled in the past five years.
- When a coin lithium button battery gets stuck in a child’s throat, the saliva triggers an electrical current. This causes a chemical reaction that can severely burn the esophagus in as little as two hours.
- Once burning begins, damage can continue even after the battery is removed.
- The number of cases resulting in serious injury or death has more than quadrupled in the past five years.