Heartbreaking.
A “beautiful” baby boy has died after swallowing an everyday household object that left a “hole in his heart”.
One year old Hugh McMahon tragically ate a button battery from a VTech Swing & Sing monkey teddy at the end of 2021 which has since been the cause of his death.
His parents Christine McDonald and Hugh McMahon said he ate the battery and he was rushed to hospital once they realised what had happened.
According to the Liverpool Echo, doctors found that little Hugh’s blood had turned acidic and would not clot and later discovered a hole had burned his heart.
On December 26th, Christine and Hugh made the heartbreaking decision to turn off their one-year-old’s life support machine and their son died in their arms.
Hugh was then buried in Eastfield Cemetery in Cumbernauld in January.
Hugh’s parents have since issued a warning to other parents asking them to take care and ensure all products that use button batteries are properly secured or kept out of reach of children.
Button batteries come in a range of sizes and most are small enough to be swallowed, with bigger ones having the potential to get stuck in a child’s throat.
When these batteries come in contact with a wet surface it begins to discharge a current, which can create caustic soda.
This chemical is typically used to clear blocked drains and can cause serious chemical burns to internal organs.
The reaction with saliva is almost immediately, so it is urged to take your child immediately to A&E if it happens.
And if you’re unsure this has happened, the signs to look out for include: vomiting fresh, bright red blood, developing a cough, gag or drooling a lot, appearing to have a stomach upset or being sick, throat, chest or stomach pain, tiredness and lethargy, loss or reduced appetite, being quieter or not themselves.
If they are coughing on the battery, try to get them to cough it out and if that doesn’t work, lean them forward and give five sharp back blows and check to see if it’s out.
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