Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor:  Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report   

These images show a boy who suffered painful burns to the inside of his throat after he swallowed a battery from a remote control and the cell charred his oesophagus when it short-circuited.

The one-year-old named only as ‘Le Le’ was treated at Foshan Shunde Women and Children Health Care Hospital in South China’s Guangdong Province on 5th January, more than 24 hours after he ingested the battery.

According to reports, the curious toddler’s family members saw him put a button cell into his mouth, and they tried to make him vomit the battery back out.

When they spotted another silver battery on the floor next to him, they mistakenly thought he had coughed it back out, but the button cell actually remained lodged in the boy’s oesophagus until the next day.

The tot’s family said he began vomiting up whatever he was fed the following day, and they finally took him to hospital more than 24 hours after later.

Le Le’s doctor, Chen Cheng, ordered scans which showed the button cell from the family’s television remote stuck in the boy’s throat.

An emergency gastroscopy was performed to fish the battery out, with medics discovering serious burns on the boy’s oesophagal wall as the enclosed positive and negative terminals short-circuited in his throat, the hospital reported.

Doctor Chen said Le Le’s mother “fainted” when he explained that burns can be caused if a battery is left in the throat for more than six hours.

A hospital image shows the button cell having already been charred black by the time it was removed during the hour-long operation.

The facility’s report said it was crucial that the battery was removed right away, as leaking battery fluid could have burnt a hole in the tot’s oesophagus, which in serious cases can be fatal.

Doctor Chen noted: “The child will be kept under observation for the next three months.

“He will only be able to eat normally once his oesophagus has fully healed.”

Le Le is expected to be fed through a nasogastric tube for the next few months.

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