Bambino Gesù Hospital warns of surge in pediatric button battery ingestions

Medical specialists at the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital in Rome have issued an alarm regarding a sharp increase in accidental button battery ingestions among children. In the first seven months of 2026, the hospital recorded seven cases of batteries becoming lodged in the esophagus, compared to only two cases during the entire year of 2025. Six of these recent cases occurred within a three-month period between May and July.

Doctors warn that button battery ingestion is a time-sensitive emergency. If a battery remains stuck in the esophagus, it can cause severe tissue burns and lesions within as little as two hours. Complications can include perforations, stenosis, or life-threatening hemorrhages. While some children may not show immediate symptoms, signs to watch for include difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, vomiting, sudden coughing, or chest and abdominal pain.

Since January 2025, approximately 650 children have visited the hospital's emergency department after ingesting foreign objects. Although most objects are expelled naturally, button batteries are particularly dangerous, accounting for roughly one in three urgent surgical interventions. Experts advise that if ingestion is suspected in children over 12 months old, administering honey (up to 10 ml every 10 minutes, maximum six doses) may slow the injury while en route to the emergency room, but it must not delay immediate medical care.