It has been revealed by a new report that the number of children visiting emergency rooms as a consequence of swallowing batteries has nearly doubled in the past two decades.
A study, recently conducted by a group of researchers, has uncovered that batteries, omnipresent in toys and hearing aids as well as remote controls, can prove highly risky for children if swallowed and lodged in the esophagus.
The team has told that these button batteries and coin-shaped batteries cause an electrical current that flows through the tissue. While children suffer severe injuries within two hours of catching these in the esophagus, they often do not show any symptoms.
The number of children visiting ERs has increased in the last 20 years and has reached a concerning figure i. e. more than 65,000, the report says. It is being said by the group that the reason behind battery consumption by children is mainly the shiny temptation, which attracts small children.
Dr. Nicholas Slamon, a pediatrician, said, "They're shiny, they're small, and children explore things developmentally with their mouth -- if they don't know what something is, they put it in their mouth".
However, children receive emergency surgery to get a battery retrieved from the throat, nose or ear, it is necessary for the parents to be diligent, the report concludes.
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