Swallowing a battery? Doctors may advise you to eat like Winnie the Pooh.
Such was the case for little Isabella Telford, who was given a whole jar of honey to consume by NHS medics after ingesting some from a toy.
Swallowed batteries pose a serious medical emergency because the devices that power countless household appliances and toys can burn a hole in the stomach.
An estimated two children are killed in Britain every year as a result of swallowed batteries.
But regular household honey can drastically reduce the risk to health, as the sweet substance acts as an effective barrier against the corrosive properties of the battery.
Isabella, 4, enjoyed a family day out but was rushed to hospital after swallowing a battery believed to have fallen from a child’s toy
Isabella’s mother Adele Telford (left), 31, said as soon as she heard Isabella had swallowed the battery, she and her wife Emily (right) had to rush her to hospital. The couple are pictured here with Isabella and one of their other children, eight-month-old Everley
The light-up ring containing the battery was swallowed by Isabella and therefore had to be rushed to hospital
Four-year-old Isabella’s ordeal began after she bought a small light ring last month while enjoying a family day out at Haven’s Wild Duck Holiday Park near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.
However, after the family returned home from the town of Diss, Isabella swallowed the battery, prompting the family to rush her to the hospital.
Once there, doctors from Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital gave her an entire jar of honey to eat in an attempt to prevent the battery from causing damage.
When exposed to saliva, batteries create a powerful alkaline solution that essentially dissolves internal tissue, causing potentially fatal damage.
But honey has been proven to counteract this effect, in part by creating a viscous barrier that physically protects the tissue from the battery and also helps neutralize the harsh alkaline solution.
Fortunately, in Isabella’s case, the honey worked and while she was closely monitored in hospital, she managed to pass the battery without incident the next day.
Isabella’s mother Adele Telford, 31, recalled the moment she heard Isabella had swallowed the battery.
“(When Isabella swallowed the battery), the kids were playing in the living room while we were just doing things around the house,” she said.
‘I was in the kitchen and Isabella shouted and said she had swallowed something.
“I think she could tell from our faces that she had done something wrong. It took some effort to figure out what she had swallowed.”
‘She had her ring tucked away in her little toy kitchen and when she pulled it out it was all in pieces.
“The top was out and two of the batteries were just rolling around.
“She said she swallowed one of the batteries because there were only two and there should have been three.”
Mrs Telford said she had heard about the dangers surrounding batteries and children and knew she and her wife Emily needed urgent medical attention.
‘At this point I just looked at my wife and told her to go straight to A&E because I had read horrors about button batteries.’ she said.
‘I was really worried that the battery might have burned her throat or stomach.
‘They took her to the children’s ward and told her to have 10 ml of honey every 10 minutes until the doctor told her to stop.
“They put her on a little bed and gave Emily a big jar of honey and a syringe and they gave her honey for two hours.”
Ms Telford claimed the lid containing the light ring’s batteries was only held together with ‘hot glue’ which ‘fell apart when one of the other batteries in the case started to leak’.
This led to them coming loose and Isabella swallowing them.
Medics at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital gave her a whole jar of honey to eat to prevent the battery from causing damage
Government guidelines for batteries from the Office of Product Safety and Standards state that manufacturers should “ensure that the product has a battery compartment that can be securely fastened and cannot be accidentally opened to prevent a child from removing the batteries.”
In response to Ms Telford’s claims, Haven said the product complies with all EU health and safety regulations, but they have alerted the manufacturer and temporarily removed the product from sale while the incident is investigated.
The mother-of-three has also warned other parents about the dangers of small batteries around young children.
“We were lucky, but another family might not be as lucky as we were,” she said.
“If your child swallows a button cell battery, you should give him honey as soon as possible and also take him to the nearest hospital as soon as possible,” she said.
The NHS is urging Britons to take children who have swallowed a battery to A&E as soon as possible.
During this time you can give them honey, about two teaspoons every 10 minutes.
However, this is only the case for children over 12 months of age, as honey can pose a health hazard to very young children.
The NHS advice is also that you should not give the child anything else to eat or drink and should not try to make the child vomit.
In addition, parents are advised to watch for symptoms such as vomiting, chest or throat pain, drooling and difficulty swallowing, as children can often swallow batteries without parents noticing.
If you are unsure, parents can contact NHS 111 for advice.
Once in the hospital, medical scans and assessments can determine next steps.
If the battery gets stuck, the child may need surgery to remove it.
However, if it reaches the stomach, the main danger has passed and a child can usually be observed at home to see if the battery can be passed on naturally.
Research also shows that approximately one in 2,500 children who swallow a battery dies as a result of the injuries sustained.
The danger associated with swallowing batteries varies with age, with younger children being more vulnerable to serious injury.