Button batteries are ubiquitous in the environment of infants and young children, being particularly prevalent in children’s toys. Button battery ingestion is a paediatric hazard for which there can be severe, life-threatening consequences. There have been a number of fatalities in the under-three age group. Current research focuses on the pathophysiological mechanism by which button battery ingestion damages and erodes the mucosa of the aerodigestive tract and the hospital protocols in its acute management. However, little research exists regarding the scope of parental awareness of the hazards of ingestion of button batteries. We hypothesise that awareness is poor among the parents of young children of the specific severity of the dangers of button battery ingestion that differentiate it from ingestion of other foreign bodies. Our research aims to perform a 10-year retrospective analysis of paediatric foreign body ingestion in University Hospital Galway (UHG) as well as design an online questionnaire to gather data on the awareness among the general population of the hazards of button battery ingestion. We also may consider assessing the knowledge of healthcare professionals in UHG regarding the same. We also intend to formulate recommendations to raise awareness of the dangers of button battery ingestion and perhaps even make them safer.
