Liege Hospital Warns of Button Battery Danger to Children

A hospital in Liège, Belgium, has issued an urgent public warning after five children were hospitalized in just three weeks for swallowing button batteries — the small, shiny disc-shaped batteries found in watches, toys, remote controls, and musical books. Doctors at the Hôpital de la Citadelle are urging parents to keep these seemingly harmless objects out of children’s reach, warning that ingestion can cause severe internal injuries and even death.

The Hidden Danger

Button batteries pose a far greater threat than many parents realize. According to RTBF, which first reported the warning, Dr. Emeline Bequet, a pediatric gastroenterologist at the hospital, explained that once swallowed, the battery lodges in the esophagus — a moist environment that activates the battery and triggers an electrical burn.

“The extension of these lesions, these burns, continues even after the battery has been removed,” Dr. Bequet said. “With sometimes a risk of mortality linked to the ingestion of the button battery.”

The damage can extend beyond the esophagus to surrounding organs, including respiratory organs and blood vessels, with potentially lifelong consequences for a child’s ability to eat, breathe, and maintain vascular health.

A Growing Problem

The Belgian Poison Centre warns that children aged 1 to 3 are most at risk. Lithium batteries of 20mm diameter or larger — typically 3-volt batteries — are the most dangerous because their size makes them more likely to become lodged in the esophagus. The centre received 64,775 calls in 2025, the second-highest total in its history.

In France, the problem is equally alarming. According to ANSES, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, over 1,200 emergency room visits per year are linked to button battery ingestion by children under 6, and the number of accidents has quadrupled since 2002. Six deaths have been recorded in France, including five young children.

Why Children Are Attracted

Children are naturally drawn to button batteries because they are small, shiny, and often left within easy reach. Dr. Bequet noted that the batteries are found in common household items that parents may not think twice about — watches, toys, musical books, remote controls, and hearing aids.

“Since it’s an object that seems relatively ordinary within a family, people leave it lying around and don’t think to put the battery in a place inaccessible to the child,” she said.

Regulatory Gaps

European Union regulations require toys containing button batteries to have child-resistant compartments — either a double-opening system or a screw-secured battery cover. The new EU Toy Safety Regulation (2025/2509), published in December 2025, further strengthens these requirements.

However, Dr. Bequet warned that some low-cost retailers sell toys that do not comply with these standards. This enforcement gap means that even well-intentioned parents may unknowingly bring dangerous products into their homes.

What Parents Should Do

The Belgian Poison Centre provides clear guidance for parents:

• Do NOT induce vomiting
• Do NOT give the child food (endoscopic removal may be needed)
• For children over 12 months: honey (2 teaspoons every 10 minutes, up to 6 times) can create a temporary protective coating around the battery during transport to hospital — but this must NOT delay medical care
• Seek an immediate X-ray (thorax and abdomen), preferably within one hour, to locate the battery

Even if a child shows no immediate symptoms, medical attention is critical. A battery lodged in the esophagus can cause severe burns within just two hours.

Prevention Tips

Parents can take several simple steps to reduce the risk:

1. Keep all button batteries — including used ones — out of reach of children
2. Choose toys with secured battery compartments (screw-secured or requiring two independent actions to open)
3. Change batteries when children are not present
4. Never leave spare batteries lying around
5. Dispose of used batteries at designated collection points

A Call for Greater Awareness

The cluster of five cases at a single hospital in just three weeks is a significant warning sign. While EU regulations exist to protect children, the gap between regulation and real-world enforcement — particularly among low-cost and online retailers — leaves room for tragedy.

Dr. Bequet’s warning serves as a critical reminder that the most dangerous objects are often the ones that seem most ordinary. As summer holidays begin and children spend more time at home, parents are urged to take a few minutes to check their homes for accessible button batteries — a small action that could save a life.

This article is based on reporting by Caroline Adam and Anne-Catherine Croufer of RTBF, published July 15, 2026.