Idaho Falls mom warns parents about the dangers of button batteries

An Idaho Falls mom is warning parents about the dangers of button (or coin) batteries after her 14-month-old swallowed one that burned a hole in his throat. The toddler spent five weeks in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC), where he was treated for severe burns covering the area from his esophagus to his trachea. He was released just before Christmas 2025 and is expected to make a full recovery. Now, mom of three, Katie, hopes that other parents can avoid the trauma her family has gone through.

The specially trained pediatric physicians and nurses at EIRMC offer round-the-clock supervision and care for critically ill children. 

“Orrin had eaten a button battery from a light fixture remote,” Katie said. “But we didn’t know that at first. We didn’t know anything was wrong until he started vomiting clear liquid. We could tell he couldn’t swallow and that he had something stuck in his throat.” 

Katie rushed Orrin to the ER at EIRMC where healthcare professionals performed an X-ray and immediately confirmed the battery was ingested. Orrin underwent surgery to remove it. EIRMC has the only pediatric surgeons in southeast Idaho, allowing him to receive the critical care he so desperately needed while staying close to home and his family. 

“When you put a button battery in your mouth, it basically turns on. It creates a closed circuit. Orrin probably had it in his throat for about two hours, and it continued to damage his throat over the next couple of weeks. His throat was just mush,” Katie explained. 

Lifesaving care for children of all ages

Orrin was scheduled for a second surgery to help close the hole in his throat, but tests revealed it was closing on its own. Now, all he needed was time to heal.

“They had Orrin on suction 24/7 for a while,” his mother said. “He was also on a feeding tube. Everyone was so great to us and they really loved Orrin. They were super helpful and kept us informed about everything that was going on. The recreational therapist was awesome, coming in every day to play with him. It seemed like he was fine, but because he still had a hole in his throat, he was at risk for getting pneumonia.” 

When the hole was small enough, Orrin and his family returned home – just in time for Christmas. Orrin was discharged with a feeding tube, but that didn’t dampen his spirits.

“The nurses who taught me how to feed him said that he would probably not wear the backpack that contained his food because most kids don’t — and that I would probably have to carry it around for him,” Katie says. “But he wore it every day and it didn’t bother him at all. A few days before Christmas, he pulled the feeding tube out of his stomach. When we took him back to EIRMC’s ER, they said he didn’t need it anymore. But he was so used to the weight of the backpack, that his balance was off and he had to get used to walking without it!”

The dangers of button batteries — and how manufacturers are trying to make them safer

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) notes that button cell or coin batteries are associated with thousands of emergency department visits each year. They can cause immediate and devastating effects and burn through a child’s throat or esophagus in as little as two hours. 

“In our case, we didn’t know what was in Orrin’s throat until we had the X-ray,” Katie said. “By then, precious time had gone by. We had bought cheap batteries, but we won’t do that again. I would tell parents not to buy cheap, knock-off batteries. Get the ones that are coated with stuff that tastes bad and turns your mouth blue when swallowed.”

In the past year, companies such as Energizer and Rayovac have introduced coin lithium batteries that feature more secure packaging, a nontoxic bitter coating to discourage swallowing, and a “color-alert technology” that dyes children’s mouths blue if swallowed.

The National Capital Poison Center recommends giving honey to children 12 months and older on the way to the emergency room to reduce injury in the critical time between ingestion and when the battery can be properly removed. However, do not delay going to the ER to obtain or give a child honey. Give 10mL of honey every 10 minutes only for children 12 months or older who have ingested button batteries in the past 12 hours. Do not exceed six doses of honey.

Call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 1(800) 498-8666 or the Poison Help Line at 1(800) 222-1222 immediately for treatment information if you suspect a child has swallowed or is exposed to button cell or coin batteries. 

“You never think this will happen to you,” says Katie. “But bad things happen to everyone. We’re just so grateful that our son is doing so much better.”