The Common Kitchen Ingredient That Could Help if Your Child Swallows a Battery - ScienceAlert

Young children up to six years of age are most at risk of BBI complications due to their smaller body size, which increases the chance that a swallowed battery might get lodged in their esophagus – especially larger button batteries such as the ubiquitous 20-millimeter CR2032, used in a vast range of small electronics.

Within just two hours, a stuck battery can cause severe burns as its negatively charged surface makes prolonged contact with the conductive tissue of the esophagus; this contact produces an electrical current and breaks nearby water down into a highly corrosive fluid.

In the experiment, researchers tested a range of different household liquids (including honey, maple syrup, Gatorade, and fruit juices) to see whether any of them helped minimize tissue injury resulting from battery lodgment in the animal's esophagus.

While the jury's out on just how effective honey administration might be in human children who have swallowed batteries, it's clear what the most important thing to do is in this scenario: Seek medical help right away, because in rare circumstances where the battery becomes stuck, you're looking at an emergency.