Before I had kids, a lot of stuff never made sense to me. Are kids eating batteries? Seriously? Or kids choking on grapes? This was never a thing that made sense but then I became a mother! Then I realized, kids just literally eat everything that comes in their reach…even out their reach. So if you are not a mother yourself, judging other moms is easier. How could a mom be so careless? So heartless? So reckless? But being a mother myself, I can now say! Motherhood is the hardest job in this world.
Well so coming back to the point, what to do if your child swallows a battery. The batteries inside toys, toy phones, watches are so small and like a button so eating them is playful for kids. Of course, it’s scary and dangerous, but not to the kids. But do you know that these batteries are fatal to your kids if they eat them? Kids can choke, the batteries can get stuck in their throat or even if they travel to the digestive tract, they can cause horrible tissue damage within a matter of a few hours. Kids die because of eating batteries.
- Postpartum recovery tips for moms with a toddler
- 10 Time saving hacks for busy moms
- 13 Things I’ve learned after becoming a mommy
- The Ultimate Hospital bag checklist printable
- How to Handle Sleep Deprivation as a New Mom
- 9 Ways to Overcome Mom Guilt
KEEP THE BATTERIES AWAY FROM KIDS REACH
The first thing all parents should do is to keep stuff like that away from kid’s reach. But I know sometimes kids just find anything and you cannot avoid it. The maximum you can do is to store the batteries in upper drawers where kids hands can’t reach. And discard the old ones. If your dustbin has a discarded battery, throw it away as soon as possible as dustbins are an easy reach for kids. Do not give kids any toy that has an easy to open the battery compartment. Secure it with a screw or a strong tape so that kids can’t open that.
- How to organize your house before bringing new baby
- How to remove urine stains from almost everything!
- How to remove crayon from walls easily?
- Tips on How to Wean Baby off Bottle at night?
- 15 Easy and healthy oatmeal recipes for babies that they will love
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR KID HAS INGESTED A BATTERY?
If you have a baby who isn’t speaking yet, it’s hard to tell if they have ingested a battery or anything else. All you need to do is pray that never happens, and keep an eye on your kid. There is a simple list of symptoms your kid will start showing after swallowing a battery. Don’t ignore them, as within 2 hours of ingesting a battery, the tissue damage can prove fatal.
- Your kid will refuse to eat or drink anything without any reason.
- Your kid will show signs of irritability, that too without any reason.
- Diarrhea
- Your kid will start showing fever, coughing and vomiting.
- Stool color is bloody or strangely colored.
- The kid is having breathing difficulty.
- Severe abdominal pain.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Don’t panic, don’t panic! Visit emergency as soon as possible. If you cannot do that, and have to wait for the help, just make sure to follow these steps:
- DO NOT make your kid vomit if you suspect he has ingested a battery.
- DO NOT let your child eat or drink anything.
WAIT till the help arrives.
After you get help and reach the ER, tell doctors if you are worried your child has swallowed a battery, and then they will do an x-ray to see. Accidents happen all the time, so blaming yourself or worrying wouldn’t help. Just childproof your home and be a little more careful.
If you like the post, please share it with your friends and fellow mommies so that they can be better prepared for a situation like this.
Subscribe to get future updates and posts right in your inbox without any delay 🙂
Saima Nadeem
Leave a Reply