Parents Urged To Give Honey If Child Swallows Button Battery

No parent wants to even entertain the idea that their child could end up swallowing something as dangerous as a button battery – but unfortunately, it happens.

And when accidents like this occur, it’s crucial to know what to do.

Button batteries can be found in watches, calculators, remote controls, key fobs, electronic toys and even greetings cards.

If a child swallows one, it’s a medical emergency and they need to be taken straight to A&E.

But there is something parents can do en route to hospital that could mean the difference between life and death.

And it involves feeding children a common ingredient.

In a video shared by Tiny Hearts Education, which delivers baby first aid training, experts showed what can happen to a piece of sandwich meat if a button battery is left to its own devices, or smothered in honey or jam.

The meat slice with honey fares the best, followed by the one covered in jam. Without either, the battery begins to burn a hole through the meat.

The experts at Tiny Hearts said button batteries start burning through tissue in as little as two hours – “and the damage can be catastrophic”.

They added that research shows honey and jam can help slow this burning process: “A 2024 study tested common foods on button batteries lodged in tissue. The standouts were honey and jam. Both formed a protective barrier, reduced the burn, and slowed the chemical reaction.”

They advised children over 12 months should be given honey, while babies under 12 months could have jam instead as it offers “similar protection without the risk of infant botulism”.

Dr Bimal Mehta, a consultant at Alder Hey Hospital’s Emergency Department, seconded that the most important thing to do if a child swallows a battery is to get them to hospital as soon as possible.

“In the meantime, feeding your child 2 teaspoons of honey every 10 minutes can help to reduce the damage caused to internal tissue by the battery,” he said.

“Only give your child honey if they are older than 12 months.”

Button battery ingestion affects all age groups, but most cases involve children under the age of six who can easily mistake them for sweets.

Sometimes kids might swallow the battery when parents aren’t looking, or in another room. As a result, it’s important for parents to know the signs to look out for of battery ingestion.

According to Dr Mehta, these include:

• Vomiting blood
• Indicating pain in their throat or chest
• Drooling
• Having difficulty swallowing or eating.

To keep children safe, Great Ormond Street Hospital advises keeping new batteries in their original blister packaging out of the sight and reach of children.

Tape down battery compartments, if possible, and keep watches and key fobs out of sight and reach of children.

The experts also advise only buying toys from reliable sources, as they are more likely to have passed safety regulations, and disposing of batteries safely and immediately once they’ve stopped working.