More than 60 young children aged under-5 rushed to hospital to get X-rays after a button battery scare at their childcare centre have been given the all clear.
A broken toy which had an unknown amount of button batteries missing was discovered at Greenspace Childcare Centre at Bli Bli on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on Wednesday.
Staff contacted emergency services straight away, amid fears at least one of the children may have swallowed the deadly devices.
The offending toy is believed to not be from the facility and was bought to daycare by a child.
Paramedics assessed 64 children aged 2-5 and arranged with Queensland Health for them to be picked up by their parents and taken to hospital.
The children underwent X-rays and all tests have since come back negative for the dangerous battery, 9 News reported.
‘All children were assessed and no cases of ingestion have been reported,’ a Queensland Ambulance spokesperson said.
The childcare centre bought in metal detectors to help look for the missing batteries, but nothing was found.
A broken toy with an unknown amount of missing button batteries was found at the Greenspace Childcare Centre on the Sunshine Coast
Button batteries are in many household items and are very common in children’s products. If swallowed, it is a ‘life-saving-emergency’
Centre staff and parents have been praised for their quick action.
‘I commend the parents in all this, it would’ve been a daunting phone call for parents to receive about what’s happened but the childcare centre was very transparent with them,’ paramedic James Mayfield said
Parents were also quick to praise the childcare centre on how staff handled the situation.
‘Button batteries are not to be messed with … We were getting updates on the app, we were getting phone calls, everything was amazing,’ parent Tahnee Tuckerman said.
Three Australian children have died from digesting button batteries in the last decade.
Three Australian children have died from ingesting batteries in the last decade, including Brittney Conway (pictured)
Queensland toddler Brittney Conway was just three-years-old when she swallowed a button battery in 2020. She died three weeks later.
Mr Mayfield told, 7 News it was because of the seriousness of the batteries that the paramedics decided to take a ‘no risk no chance’ approach on Wednesday.
The paramedic said the incident is a good reminder for parents and carers to assess any potential risks in their home, as the batteries can be in many items, including children’s toys.
Mr Mayfield said swallowing a button battery is a ‘life-threatening emergency’ and parents should seek medical assistance straight away.
The symptoms of when someone swallows a button battery include abdominal pain, chest pain and gastrointestinal bleeding.
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