Three-year-old Australian girl dies after swallowing a common household item

Devastated Australian parents Lorraine and David Conway are calling for an urgent regulation of button batteries after their little Brittney died from swallowing one in July.

The 3-year-old girl swallowed the battery, which then burned her esophagus down to her aorta.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the death of their youngest son, the Conways said Brittney died on July 28 at Queensland Children’s Hospital, three weeks after swallowing the battery.

Doctors initially suggested that her symptoms could have been due to food poisoning, before the battery was finally discovered.

Brittney’s initial symptoms included vomiting and a sore throat, Lorraine Conway told ABC News.

A few days later, he complained of chest pain and began to refuse food, and seemed to be in agony whenever he tried to ingest solids. Brittney was taken to Robina Hospital on the Gold Coast, where the doctor assumed she had a virus.

Despite asking for an X-ray, “no X-ray was ever done,” according to Lorraine Conway.

Nine days after showing her first symptoms, hearing her daughter cough during the night, Conway got up to see how she was doing.

“Brittney was lying in a pool of blood, unconscious,” he said.

After the young woman was taken by ambulance to the Gold Coast University Hospital, an X-ray was finally taken and the battery was found.

After undergoing nine hours of surgery to remove the battery, doctors were unable to stabilize her and Brittney was transferred to Queensland Children’s Hospital.

There, she underwent a new surgery, but eight days later she died from her injuries.

“She had a beautiful nature … a very content and happy girl,” said Lorraine Conway.

“He had a thousand sparkles in his eyes.”

Queensland Health has reported that it is conducting a review of Brittney’s death and extends its “deepest condolences” to her family and friends.

Brittney’s tragic death has reignited a fierce debate over the regulation of common household items.

Kidsafe CEO Susan Teerds said regulation of button batteries was critical.

“For 40 years, companies have been dumping these, what I call landmines, into our homes and they have known they are problematic,” Teerds told ABC News.

What to do if your child swallows a button battery

Every day in Australia, at least one child is hospitalized because he swallowed a button battery.

The most common age for this is between the ages of 0 to 4, with regions of the body affected such as the intestine, esophagus, nose, and ear.

Small, shiny batteries are often used in common household items, such as televisions or remote controls, scales, and toys. Once ingested, they begin to burn internally, causing life-long injury or death.

If your child swallows a button battery, you should call New Zealand emergency services immediately at 111 if they have trouble breathing.

If they are not having trouble breathing, parents should:

• Call the New Zealand National Poison Center immediately on 0800 764 766.

• Don’t try to make your child vomit.

• Don’t let your child eat or drink while waiting for medical advice.

How to keep batteries out of the reach of children

• All batteries should be stored in a closed, child-proof cabinet at least 1.5m from the floor.

• Check that all toys, remote controls and other products that contain batteries have a screw to secure them; otherwise, use heavy-duty tape.

• Dispose of old batteries in an outdoor container out of the reach of children.