Button batteries can be found in many household devices such as children’s toys and novelty cards.  If ingested or inhaled, they can become lodged in the oesophagus or trachea and can cause serious injury; potentially leading to disability or even death.

The button batteries study uses a prospective observational methodology to achieve 4 objectives. These are;

1. to estimate the incidence of button battery ingestion/inhalation/insertion leading to hospital admission and intervention in children aged under 16 years in the UK and Ireland;
2. to describe the clinical management of these children;
3. to describe the contributing factors, and;
4. To describe outcomes in these children.

The information gathered by this study will be used to inform policy change and clinical care.