Neighbor News
A Safer Button Battery
A redesign of coin batteries and their packaging can save children's lives.
Kudos to the Energizer Battery company for working with the nonprofit, parent-initiated Reese’s Purpose foundation to develop the first child-safer button and hearing aid coin battery that helps to prevent the potentially fatal ingestion problem. These little batteries look good enough to eat. When swallowed, they lodge in the throat or anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract and burn through the linings leading to devastating consequences.
Called the Energizer 3-in-1 Shield, the company has employed 3 design changes to make these tiny batteries safer for babies and young children. ONE. The company has covered these candy look-alike batteries with a bitter coating to discourage swallowing. TWO. These batteries carry a non-toxic blue dye that will discolor the a child’s lips and mouth in order to warn a parent that a battery has been swallowed. THREE. Enhanced child-resistant packaging. Brilliant.
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This landmark development was driven in no small part by Reese’s Purpose and its founder Trista Hamsmith. Ms. Hamsmith founded the organization in honor of her daughter Reese who died at 17 months of age 2 months following ingestion of a button battery. That battery burned a hole in Reese’s esophagus leading to harrowing 6 week hospital stay with multiple surgeries that failed to save her life.
Ms. Hamsmith founded Reese’s Purpose to celebrate her short life and insure that that her death would not be in vain. Through her tireless efforts, Reese’s Law strengthening federal safety requirements governing coin batteries and all products containing them was signed into law by President Joe Biden on August 16, 2022. Reese would have been 3 years old on that day.
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No word yet about when Energizer’s 3 in 1 shielded button batteries will be available but hopefully soon. Meanwhile, I ask all of you to reward Energizer for taking this step to protect all our children by only buying Energizer batteries of any size.
I also ask you to click on the link to the Reese’s Purpose website to read more about Trista Hamsmith’s wonderful organization and to consider making a donation.
