Baby swallowed hearing aid battery!

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sansalmom

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One of our worst nightmares happened today when our 13-month old swallowed her older brother's hearing aid battery. I have to admit that I've long been afraid this would happen. The problem with our son's Oticon Safaris is that the only way to shut the aids off is to open the battery compartment. He has a habit of doing that when he gets feedback or if the battery dies. He has broken several battery compartments and we've had some close calls with finding batteries on the floor, but we really do try to be vigilant and keep a close eye on the hearing aids and batteries at all times.

This morning, the unthinkable happened. Grandma was babysitting while we did a grocery run. When we came back, I found one of the hearing aids on the counter, without the battery in. We immediately checked everywhere - the carpets, couch cushions, drawers - and realized the baby probably swallowed it.

I called poison control and they said "get to an ER." Poison control explained that as long as the battery didn't get lodged in her esophagus, she'd probably be okay, but we needed an X ray to be sure. At the hospital, we were triaged to the front of the line, and they did an X ray. Indeed, she had swallowed it, but thankfully, it had already gone down through her stomach and into the intestines. After much back-and-forth among the doctors (and a consultation with a GI doc by phone), they decided to send us home. So here we are, waiting and praying that she passes it soon. It is still nerve-wracking, knowing it's in her body (in fact, I called poison control again when we got home, just to get a third opinion).

Just wanted to share the story, despite my shame in not preventing this. I don't know if this was the right way to handle the situation, but I took our 5 y.o. to the hospital with me so he would know that this is serious and he must never, ever open the battery compartment - he needs to ask for help if he has feedback or a dead battery.

Thoughts?
 
Is the Safari not available with locking battery compartment?

My thought would be to trade in for a Phonak that does have a childproof feature for the battery.
 
Wirelessly posted

You did the right thing by calling the poison control and taking the baby to the doctor. My hearing aids are the same way. I wish the manufactors would make an off switch on them. My old HAs had one. I have a small dog and I am sure to put mine up in my box and put it on top of my dresser out of reach since I had a dog that literally ate my HAs and battery. He passed it just fine. I would still go back to his primary care and have another X ray to be sure your child passes the battery and does not lodge in the intestines.
 
I wish the manufactors would make an off switch on them. My old HAs had one
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I KNOW...........its annoying that they don't have on/off switches!
 
Harrowing experience! Sorry this is happening to you. I also was annoyed that my Widex Super 440's do not have an on/off switch. The audi stated they need to be left opened because of moisture build up in the aids. Not having the switch forces you to open it up and let it dry out.
 
I grew up wearing hearing aids and I'm amazed I never ingested batteries.

I suppose you'll be picking through the feces to find the battery? :ugh3:
 
NitroHonda said:
Harrowing experience! Sorry this is happening to you. I also was annoyed that my Widex Super 440's do not have an on/off switch. The audi stated they need to be left opened because of moisture build up in the aids. Not having the switch forces you to open it up and let it dry out.
Click to expand...

That is a good point, but still... if I'm at work and there's a bunch of voices (coworkers talking) and it's very distracting, I want to be able to turn off the hearing aid without having to take it off and open the battery door.
 
man hope battery passes ok. it should though since its smooth, roundish and smaller then a baby poop. Hopefully you are staying away from liquids like applejuice and such. Same goes with foods. stick with foods that doesnt make baby poop be runny or soft. The reasoning is to have the poop encapsulate around the battery acting like a vessel carrying it out safely. You wouldnt want to have a baby with diarrhea and try to pass the ONLY hard thing out.

Keep us posted on how baby does.. We are all praying for you.
 
I know that must be a scary experience. I think you did the right thing by taking him to the ER with you so he could understand the reason for having an adult help him with his hearing aids when there are issues with them- a lot of times kids have to see the reasons for things and not just be told by us "don't do this because...".

I have to say, I am quite surprised that they don't make them with childproof doors or with on/off switches. Is there a reason you picked this specific hearing aid? Maybe the next time you go to the audiologist you could talk to them about the concerns with how the aid operates (no childproof doors, having to take battery out to turn it off, etc.) and maybe they would suggest something that would work as well as this one (on the helping him hear side of things) but have those other issues fixed so he can't tamper with them and he can easily turn them off.

I hope she passes the battery out with no complications!
 
the Oticon Safari has a lock (only ones with 312 batteries has the screw on it snd the 13 battery? try using the multitool to unlock/lock the door) where the baby can't get in and also try ear gears so he won't put his hands on it :D

the no on/off switch? I felt that when I got them and also my batteries fell out of the door whenever I take them off or replacing them
 
DeafBadger said:
That is a good point, but still... if I'm at work and there's a bunch of voices (coworkers talking) and it's very distracting, I want to be able to turn off the hearing aid without having to take it off and open the battery door.
Click to expand...

Which is why I have mute as one of my programs. :D
 
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuUScfXPpFg]Oticon BTE Safari - Paediatric - Opening the tamper resistant battery door - YouTube[/ame]


This link shows the tamperprof battery compartment for the Oticom Safari and I believe it's a #13 battery.
 
JadeSkye said:
I know that must be a scary experience. I think you did the right thing by taking him to the ER with you so he could understand the reason for having an adult help him with his hearing aids when there are issues with them- a lot of times kids have to see the reasons for things and not just be told by us "don't do this because...".

I have to say, I am quite surprised that they don't make them with childproof doors or with on/off switches. Is there a reason you picked this specific hearing aid? Maybe the next time you go to the audiologist you could talk to them about the concerns with how the aid operates (no childproof doors, having to take battery out to turn it off, etc.) and maybe they would suggest something that would work as well as this one (on the helping him hear side of things) but have those other issues fixed so he can't tamper with them and he can easily turn them off.

I hope she passes the battery out with no complications!
Click to expand...

They actually do make hearing aid doors child proof on many (if not all?) hearing aids. When the Audi orders them, it just has to be specified. My son's first set of hearing aids could only be opened if we stuck the tip of a paper clip through a little hole that would unlatch it. You could still turn them on or off- just not open the battery door.

I'm glad she seems to be in the clear, digging through her diapers should be fun!
 
deafdyke said:
I KNOW...........its annoying that they don't have on/off switches!
Click to expand...

My HA has a push button that I have use to talk on the phone. I hate it , as I will accidentally push the button while putting my HA on or putting my hat on , then I can't hear as my HA is in phone mode . I like the HA with the switches and I agree it would be great if you could turn the HA off instead of having to open the battery door and risk having it fall out .
I did the baby pop out the battery yet? I hope so.
 
DeafBadger said:
That is a good point, but still... if I'm at work and there's a bunch of voices (coworkers talking) and it's very distracting, I want to be able to turn off the hearing aid without having to take it off and open the battery door.
Click to expand...

I forgot the nuke plant in New Hampshire was going to be testing all their
sirens at noon and took my dog for walk right around noon time and all the
sirens when off and I could not turn off my HA , I had to run into the court house and the court security guide wanted to know what I was going in the court house, I told him the sirens where very painful and he let wait until they stopped. It sure would had been nice if I could had turned off my HA!
 
whatdidyousay! said:
I forgot the nuke plant in New Hampshire was going to be testing all their
sirens at noon and took my dog for walk right around noon time and all the
sirens when off and I could not turn off my HA , I had to run into the court house and the court security guide wanted to know what I was going in the court house, I told him the sirens where very painful and he let wait until they stopped. It sure would had been nice if I could had turned off my HA!
Click to expand...

You couldn't have simply removed them from your ears?
 
and this is why I have a volume switch on my Safaris. (thank god I ditched the 2nd aid since it doesn't have one)
 
Thank you, everyone! I want to report that it took her two days, but she passed the hearing aid! Thank you for your advice and support (and being non-judgmental!) Radioman, you were right on! At the hospital, they told me to give her applesauce and prunes to produce a BM. However, when I got back home from the hospital, I called poison control again, and they connected me to the national button battery center, which gave me the same advice you did - try to give her high-fiber foods to bulk up the stools and encapsulate the battery. The concern is when it rubs up against tissues and burns a hole (in fact, the battery was already corroded when it came out). Thanks, also, NaidaUP for showing the locking mechanism. I'll try it this evening.
 
awesome!! however I laughed a little when you said hearing aid .. not hearing aid battery. It gotta hurt if it was only a hearing aid and surgery would have been the only option. I am not surprised about the corrosion though. The only thing I wonder about is the battery makeup . is it a mercury or lithium or what?
 
DeafBadger said:
That is a good point, but still... if I'm at work and there's a bunch of voices (coworkers talking) and it's very distracting, I want to be able to turn off the hearing aid without having to take it off and open the battery door.
Click to expand...

The Widex 440 comes with M Dex which is a device you wear around your neck. It allows you to turn the volume up or down, right or left, font or back. When I'm at work, I can also turn them off so I'm not distracted. There's also a device known as RC Dex that allows to you to raise or lower sound or turn it off. It can be carried on your key chain which is what I do when I go to the gym. If you buy the 440, the M Dex and RC are included. I've no idea why your audiologists would fail to mention something so obvious, but both of these devices allow you to shut off the hearing aids if you wish. Here's more info:

RC-DEX - Widex International. Digital Hearing Aids.

And the M Dex:

M-DEX - Widex International. Digital Hearing Aids.
 
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