確保孩子安全的提示：連結電池常見於物品中，但如果吞嚥可能會很危險

這個假期，您的孩子可能會得到許多很酷的玩具，這些玩具由紐扣電池供電，可以發光或發出聲音。許多小玩意、電子設備、玩具、手錶、鑰匙圈、音樂賀卡和大多數助聽器都採用硬幣大小的小型電池。

This holiday season, your children may get many cool toys that light up or make sounds powered by button batteries. The small, coin-sized batteries are in many gadgets, electronic devices, toys, watches, key fobs, musical greeting cards and most hearing aids.

這個假期，您的孩子可能會得到許多很酷的玩具，這些玩具由紐扣電池供電，可以發光或發出聲音。許多小玩意、電子設備、玩具、手錶、鑰匙圈、音樂賀卡和大多數助聽器都採用硬幣大小的小型電池。

Unfortunately, button batteries are dangerous if swallowed. Stacey Pecenka, manager of the Trauma Injury Prevention Program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, said button battery injury cases tend to spike in January.

不幸的是，紐扣電池如果吞下會很危險。范德比爾特門羅卡雷爾兒童醫院外傷預防項目經理史黛西·佩琴卡 (Stacey Pecenka) 表示，紐扣電池傷害案件往往在一月激增。

“This trend tells us that following the holiday season, children are more likely to swallow button batteries than any other time of the year,” Pecenka said.

「這一趨勢告訴我們，假期結束後，兒童比一年中的任何其他時間更有可能吞下紐扣電池，」佩琴卡說。

Each year, Poison Centers across the country report that about 3,500 people swallow button batteries. Half of those cases are for children age 6 and younger.

每年，全國各地的毒物中心報告稱，約有 3,500 人吞下紐扣電池。其中一半病例是 6 歲及以下兒童。

“These batteries can cause serious health problems and can even lead to death when swallowed by children,” Pecenka said. “According to national data, 44 children have died since 2002 after swallowing button batteries. Previously, serious injuries and deaths were much rarer.

「這些電池可能會導致嚴重的健康問題，如果被兒童吞食，甚至可能導致死亡，」佩琴卡說。 「根據國家數據，自2002年以來，已有44名兒童因吞食紐扣電池而死亡。此前，嚴重受傷和死亡的情況要少得多。

“They can be found in a variety of toys that light up and or make sounds, in fidget spinners and even some shoes,” Pecenka continued. “We want everyone to be conscientious of how easy it is for children to get access to these batteries.”

「它們可以在各種發光和/或發出聲音的玩具、指尖陀螺甚至一些鞋子中找到，」佩琴卡繼續說道。 “我們希望每個人都能意識到兒童獲取這些電池是多麼容易。”

The younger the child, the more dangerous the situation because of the inability to communicate, said Dr. Marla Levine of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Monroe Carell.

門羅卡雷爾醫院急診醫學科的瑪拉·萊文博士說，孩子越小，由於無法溝通，情況就越危險。

“We don’t always know that they have ingested something,” Levine said. “If we do know for certain, we can be more vigilant and identify the situation in a timely manner.”

「我們並不總是知道他們攝取了某些東西，」萊文說。 “如果我們確實知道的話，我們就可以更加警惕並及時發現情況。”

The challenge also comes with the fact that signs of ingestion present in various ways including mild respiratory symptoms, wheezing or possible vomiting, which can be a myriad of medical issues.

挑戰還在於，攝入的跡像以多種方式出現，包括輕微的呼吸道症狀、喘息或可能的嘔吐，這可能會導致無數的醫療問題。

For button battery ingestion cases, the clock starts ticking the minute the child swallows or places the battery next to a mucosal surface, including the ears and nose. That’s why it is critical for parents and caregivers to immediately seek emergency medical assistance if they believe their child may have swallowed a button battery.

對於紐扣電池攝入的情況，當孩子吞下或將電池放在黏膜表面（包括耳朵和鼻子）旁邊的那一刻，時鐘就開始計時。因此，如果父母和照顧者認為孩子可能吞下了連結電池，他們必須立即尋求緊急醫療援助。

According to Levine and Dr. Bo Lovvorn, a pediatric surgeon with Monroe Carell, the longer a button battery is undetected, the more likely the damage can be severe leading to the potential for a negative outcome.

Levine 和 Monroe Carell 的小兒外科醫生 Bo Lovvorn 博士表示，紐帶電池未被檢測到的時間越長，損壞的可能性就越大，導致潛在的負面結果。

“One of my biggest concerns is the chemical reaction that a button battery can cause in the esophagus,” Lovvorn said. “This chemical injury can lead rapidly to esophageal wall perforation. There are a lot of blood vessels around there. Injury to the esophagus can be complicated and lethal because it can erode into the arterial system.

「我最擔心的一個問題是紐扣電池可能會在食道中引起化學反應，」洛夫沃恩說。 「這種化學損傷會迅速導致食道壁穿孔。周圍有很多血管。食道損傷可能很複雜且致命，因為它會侵蝕動脈系統。

“When it can safely make its way below the diaphragm, it typically can pass through in the poop. And the reason for that is because once it gets in the acid of the stomach it neutralizes. When it gets stuck in the esophagus, it creates a lot of angst.”

「當它可以安全地到達隔膜下方時，它通常可以通過糞便。原因是因為一旦它進入胃酸就會中和。當它卡在食道裡時，就會產生很多焦慮。

Lovvorn said button battery ingestion and access is a real concern and hopes that messaging to improve safety ramps up and the community at large places more emphasis on safely storing objects containing button batteries.

Lovvorn 表示，紐帶電池的攝取和接觸是一個真正令人擔憂的問題，他希望提高安全性的信息得到加強，並且整個社區更加重視安全儲存含有紐帶電池的物品。

Button batteries are a part of life. Companies that make them are doing their part to reduce likelihood of children swallowing the batteries by making them taste bitter or adding a dye that might turn the child’s mouth blue as an indicator that a battery was in their mouth.

紐扣電池是生活的一部分。製造電池的公司正在盡自己的一份力量，透過讓電池嘗起來很苦，或者添加一種染料，讓孩子的嘴變成藍色，以表明電池在他們的嘴裡，從而減少兒童吞嚥電池的可能性。

But if you do buy products with button batteries, our experts offer the following button battery safety tips:

但如果您確實購買具有紐帶電池的產品，我們的專家提供以下紐帶電池安全提示：

* Keep devices with button batteries out of reach and lock away loose batteries.

* 將附扣電池的裝置放在遙不可及的地方，並鎖好鬆脫的電池。

* Discard button batteries carefully. Covering button batteries with tape before disposal can decrease injuries.

* 小心丟棄紐扣電池。在丟棄之前用膠帶覆蓋紐帶電池可以減少傷害。

* If a button battery is ingested, seek emergency medical attention so that the patient can be evaluated by a pediatric surgeon. Do not induce vomiting. For children over the age of 1, give two teaspoons of honey every 10 minutes en route to the hospital. Do not delay transport to give honey. This can reduce esophageal injury. Remember: children under 1 can NEVER have honey.

* 如果誤食紐扣電池，請尋求緊急醫療救助，以便兒科外科醫生對患者進行評估。不要催吐。對於 1 歲以上的兒童，在去醫院的途中每 10 分鐘服用兩茶匙蜂蜜。不要延誤運輸給予蜂蜜。這樣可以減少食道損傷。請記住：1 歲以下的兒童絕對不能吃蜂蜜。