Button and Coin Cell Battery Child Ingestion (Esophageal Burns, Reese's Law 2022, Bitter Coating) — child safety profile
Context-dependentButton and coin cell batteries (CR2032, CR2025, CR2016) are swallowed by children 3,500+ times per year in the US, resulting in 2,800+ ER visits and an average of 15 deaths annually.
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Button and coin cell batteries (CR2032, CR2025, CR2016) are swallowed by children 3,500+ times per year in the US, resulting in 2,800+ ER visits and an average of 15 deaths annually. When a lithium coin cell lodges in the esophagus, it generates an electrical current that hydrolyzes tissue fluid, creating sodium hydroxide (lye) — causing severe chemical burns within 2 hours that can perforate the esophagus, erode into the aorta, and cause fatal hemorrhage. 90% of severe injuries and deaths involve 20mm lithium cells (CR2032). Children ages 6 months to 3 years are at highest risk. Reese's Law (HR 5313, signed August 2022) — named after 18-month-old Reese Hamsmith who died after swallowing a battery from a remote control — requires child-resistant battery compartments and warning labels on products containing button batteries and on battery packaging. Duracell and Energizer now apply bitter coating (denatonium benzoate) to coin cells to deter ingestion.
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