CT Lab hopes to reduce dangers of ingested button cell batteries – NBC Connecticut

Inside thermometers or even your keychain, batteries power a large part of our daily life.

The Poison control says that more than 3,500 people in the United States swallow button cell batteries each year, which can have dire consequences, even death.

“It shouldn’t be a problem. Children shouldn’t die or be injured by ingesting batteries,” said Melissa Fensterstock, co-founder and CEO of Landsdowne Labs, which rents space on the Fairfield University campus.

Scientists at this Connecticut lab hope to make the batteries safer if they are accidentally ingested.

The company claims that its scientists have created a special battery coating, called ChildLok.

When applied to a battery, once the battery comes in contact with saliva, the battery will deactivate.

“The industry has been trying to work on this for decades and we have it,” Fensterstock said.

This science could have changed everything for 13-month-old Denym.

Our sister station NBC in Washington, DC introduced it to us.

“It was as if it was only getting worse by the day,” said the mother of the child, Tanae Hall.

When Denym vomited, coughed and got hoarse, her mother would take her from one hospital to another.

Four days and numerous tests later, an x-ray discovered the culprit: what they thought was a nickel was a button cell battery.

“It’s really heartbreaking. I actually took the battery out of Denym’s esophagus, ”said Dr. Anthony Sandler of Children’s National Hospital in DC.

Despite emergency surgery, the damage was already done.

The pictures show the burn in Denym’s esophagus compared to that of a healthy child.

The little girl now has a feeding tube.

“It’s hard to go tell the family there’s a big burn in the esophagus and I’m not sure exactly what’s going to happen,” Sandler said.

So stories like Denym’s are the reason these scientists here in Connecticut continue their work.

They should do their ham test where lunch meat is used here as a substitute for human tissue.

“This is a battery that you will find on the market and this is what the fabric looks like just after an hour and forty minutes,” Fensterstock said.

The difference is obvious.

The regular battery leaves a colored, burnt ring on the meat.

Landsdowne Labs says they need to continue testing their product, but are hopeful that manufacturers will use their coating and sell safer batteries on shelves by 2022.

“The battery may still need to be surgically removed, but at least that gives the ER more time,” Fenerstock said.

Until there is a safer solution, parents should order an x-ray when your child shows these warning signs:

They can’t keep food or don’t want to eat, look hoarse and drool excessively.

“I just think if I had waited any longer my kid probably wouldn’t be here,” Hall said.

“The problem is, button batteries can cause injury in 15 minutes,” said Dr. Christopher Grindle, pediatric otolaryngologist at Connecticut Children’s, who is all in favor of a solution to prevent the problems he saw.

Grindle says Connecticut Children’s sees button cell battery ingestions in their hospital ten to twelve times a year.

He recommends that parents find out which items in your home are using these batteries.

“When using these electronic devices, make sure the battery compartments are tight and away from prying eyes,” he said.

Connecticut Children’s has a team of button cell batteries ready to respond to emergencies at any time.

Call Poison Control immediately at 800-498-8666 or 9-1-1 if you suspect ingestion.

For children over one year old, “You can give two teaspoons of honey every ten minutes on your way to the hospital. What this does is that it covers the battery and helps prevent some of the current and base chemical from building up around it and preventing some injuries from happening, ”Grindle said.