Honey can help save your child’s life if they swallow a button battery

This household item can help save your children in an emergency

Ideally, button batteries should be kept far away from anywhere children can find them, but the reality is that so many of the devices we use today have them, and accidents can happen.

And if an accident does happen, and your child has swallowed a button battery, research has proven that giving your child honey immediately after a scan helps avoid serious internal damage.

The study, conducted by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, showed that giving children older than 12 months honey can help create a barrier around the button battery to avoid tissue damage.

According to medical experts, honey could indeed provide a first line of defense while a child who has swallowed a button battery awaits medical assistance.

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This was a video I posted back in March after a 1yo girl was put into an induced coma after ingesting a button battery. Share this with another parent

♬ original sound - Tiny Hearts

According to Professor Savithiri Ratnapalan and Amy R Zipursky, who specialises in Pediatric Emergency Medicine, honey can be given in doses of 10ml, about two teaspoons, every 10 minutes for up to six doses, all while awaiting medical help or while on the way to the hospital.

"Animal studies have shown that these treatments result in fewer full-thickness injuries and less extension of injury", the study reads.

What to do if your child swallows a button battery

• If you think a child has swallowed or inserted a button battery, seek medical advice immediately. Remember, prompt action is critical. Do not wait for symptoms to develop.
• Symptoms may include gagging or choking, drooling, chest pain (grunting), coughing or noisy breathing, food refusal, black or red bowel motions, nose bleeds, spitting blood or blood-stained saliva, unexplained vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, or general discomfort.
• Children are often unable to effectively communicate that they have swallowed or inserted a button battery and may have no symptoms. If you suspect a child has swallowed or inserted a button battery, you should ask for an x-ray from a hospital emergency department to make sure.

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