English Toddler Dies After Ingesting Remote Control Battery

An English toddler died after swallowing a small battery from a remote control in her bedroom last month. 

Harper-Lee Farnthorpe, 2, began vomiting blood after ingesting the battery, according to Staffordshire Live. Her mom, Stacey Nickin, was at work when she received a call from one of her other daughters alerting her that the toddler was throwing up blood and an ambulance had been called.

When the mother got to the house, medics were treating Farnthorpe. She was taken to the hospital and brought into surgery, but the little girl died in the operating room.

“Harper-Lee was into everything and developing well; there were no concerns for her. She was full of life and loved by everyone. She had a tendency to put things in her mouth,” Nickin said in a statement during an inquest into the girl’s death. 

Dr. Anna Piggot, who treated Farnthorpe, said she lost a lot of blood, was pale, and had high blood pressure. 

“There were ulcerated lesions in the mid-esophagus and a large red mark in the stomach which was a blood clot,” the doctor said. “The button battery caused erosion to the esophagus. The leaked battery acid remained in her body.”

In response to the toddler’s death, the Staffordshire Safeguarding Children’s Board issued a warning, saying in part, “Batteries react with saliva and if a child swallows a button battery it can burn holes and cause internal bleeding and even death.”

“Button batteries power everyday objects like car key fobs, remote controls, and children’s toys. But did you know that if they are swallowed, they can badly injure or even kill a child?” it said.