Professors Fred Dikkers and Tjark Ebels discussed recent developments in button battery safety and regulation, according to a June 9 interview. The conversation highlighted ongoing efforts to address the risks posed by button batteries, particularly their danger to young children who may accidentally ingest them.
Dikkers explained that when button batteries come into contact with saliva, immediate chemical reactions produce OH- ions with very high pH levels—up to pH 14 within one minute—which can cause rapid soft tissue damage. He said these injuries often occur if the battery becomes lodged at certain points in the esophagus, such as the cricopharyngeus or near the aorta. According to Dikkers, this can lead to an aorto-oesophageal fistula, which is unsurvivable.
Ebels recounted how he and Dikkers became friends when their children attended elementary school together and later worked together during an operation on a child who had ingested a button battery. Their first patient case was in 2002 and was published in The Lancet in 2003.
Efforts to improve safety have included both regulatory action and product innovation. There are currently two Button Battery Task Forces—one international and one European—working on solutions. In the United States, these efforts contributed to 'Reese’s law,' which mandates safe packaging for button batteries. In Europe, Fred and Tjark’s team won a gold award from an EU competition focused on consumer product safety; they have since collaborated with major battery manufacturers representing about 80% of the global market.
Dikkers said five out of six leading manufacturers have engaged positively with their team regarding safer designs. EU regulators have indicated that once their design is ready for mass production, it will be incorporated into European regulations. Globally, oversight comes from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which has been examining this issue for some time. Implementing these innovations is expected to add approximately 10% to the price of each battery.
