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29th April 2024
11:55am BST

Button batteries can get lodged in the esophagus of children younger than six years old, or, if swallowed, can leave substantial tissue damage and gastrointestinal perforation.
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.
@tinyheartseducation 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.
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