PARENT ALERT: Christmas warning over lithium batteries after child death

In the lead up to Christmas, parents are being warned to make sure young children aren’t left alone with small batteries after yet another toddler death.

A 13-month old boy in the UK has died from internal bleeding after swallowing a battery, an inquest has heard. Wsam Noorwali was rushed to hospital when his parents found him vomiting blood at their home in Hamilton, Leicester. Just under nine hours later he was pronounced dead, and a post-mortem examination revealed a three volt disc battery in his stomach.

His parents say they didn’t have lithium batteries in their home and he must have found it at his nursery. However the nursery says they don’t have these batteries either.

Early this year a Queensland girl died from stomach bleeding after swallowing a small button-shaped lithium battery. The 4-year-old Sunshine Coast girl became ill on Sunday and was taken to Noosa Hospital but couldn’t be saved.

The problem is that lithium batteries can be found is so many devices. They are small and toddlers often swallow them. If they reach the stomach they can cause death.

Parents need to make sure all lithium batteries in their home are kept away from children, especially in the lead up to Christmas.

Here is what a typical lithium battery looks like:

Lithium batteries are lethal for kids. When swallowed they can get stuck in the child's throat and burn through the oesophagus in just two hours. More severely, they can travel all the way to their stomach and burn through the stomach lining, a condition that is lethal.

The Kidsafe website says approximately four children a week present to hospitals with lithium-battery-related injuries in Australia.

The Battery Controlled Campaign was launched by Kidsafe and the ACCC last year to remind parents to keep batteries out of reach of children and spread the word about the dangers.

Here is what you need to do:

Do you have any safety tips you'd like to share with parents in the lead up to Christmas? Let's help each other keep our children safe.