Ensure that button cell batteries are only sold in child-resistant packaging. European paediatricians, ENT specialists and congenital heart surgeons have made this appeal to the European Commission.
These European doctors’ organizations together with several other healthcare organizations form the European Battery Task Force. This platform signals that doctors in European hospitals are often confronted with children, as well as the elderly and mentally disabled people, who have suffered serious health damage after swallowing such small batteries. Residual battery acid can lead to serious damage to the esophagus, sometimes resulting in perforations, infections, lifelong respiratory complaints or even death, the doctors’ organizations outline in a letter they sent to the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides in May. A laparoscopic procedure under anesthesia is required to remove the batteries.
Toy Rules
The doctors call on the Commissioner to enforce through European regulations that the batteries are sold in child-resistant packaging. They also want manufacturers of toys that run on button cell batteries to be required to provide the battery compartment of toys with a child safety device. But that should also apply to all small household appliances, the doctors believe, because most incidents occur with batteries from, for example, remote controls, calculators and hearing aids.
Although European figures are still missing, these doctors’ organizations are concerned, because sales of button cell batteries in Europe have been rising for a decade and continue to rise. Dutch paediatricians and ENT doctors will also draw attention to the risks next week.
