As a parent, you can usually tell when your child isn’t feeling good – the problem can be determining what the exact issue is. A Spencer, Iowa, mother is pleased her intuition proved right when a trip to the emergency room revealed a rather surprising cause to her daughter’s stomach pain.
Almost 4-year-old Lily Padilla recently had her last follow up visit for what her mom Kate thought was just a several-days stomach ache.
“I finally gave her some Metamucil just for constipation and then I laid her down to work her legs a little bit and when I laid her down she started really screaming, like complaining of pain. So that's when I knew something else was wrong and I decided, we're going to go in." said Kate Padilla.
An Accidental Swallowing
Kate took Lily to the Spencer Hospital ER to try and get some relief and possible answers to what was causing her obstruction. What the X-ray revealed was the last thing she ever expected.
“Well, we thought it was a nickel or a quarter. So it's like, did you eat a quarter? She's like, yeah. And I go, OK, there it is. And then looking at it a little more closely, we realized that was not a coin. Actually, that was a battery. And she confirmed that as well. We asked her if she ate a battery. And she's like, yeah…” said Padilla.
Thankfully the battery was not blocking Lily’s airway, but given the toxic nature of the chemicals inside the battery, Lily was at risk of serious damage to her GI tract.
“The biggest concern when a battery is stuck in the esophagus is the possibility of it perforating through the lining and impacting major blood vessels like the aorta," said Stephen Nanton, MD, a pediatric gastroenterologist with Avera. "It depends on the time frame. If we have an idea of how long the button battery has been in the food pipe or esophagus, then we can plan accordingly. The longer the battery is there, the higher the risk.”
Because it had been a few days, Lily was airflighted to Sioux Falls where Dr. Nanton’s team was waiting.
“We went in with the endoscope which is a small camera that we can see exactly where we're going and then used some specialized forceps or tools to grab the foreign body, in this case the button battery, and safely removed it,” said Dr. Nanton.
Lily did have a few burns on her esophagus, so she also got a feeding tube placed and spent the next few days in the hospital to ensure she was fully past the ordeal.
“You would never know, honestly, by looking at her. She did remarkably well, even in the hospital and then she kept her NG tube for the next several weeks after. But she was able to resume normal life. Dance, tumbling, school, she went right back to her normal life right when we got home,” said Padilla.
Preparation for Risk Prevention
The Padillas know this could have been much worse and have taken steps to prevent a repeat swallowing, both in their home and their community.
“We've noticed more things in our home and if they have button batteries they don't stay in our home anymore. And in her little world with all of her activities I think most of the 3- and 4-year-olds in our town now know don't eat button batteries,” laughed Padilla.
Dr. Nanton says most children outgrow the swallowing habit after age 4, but urges parents to be aware of the toys given to their younger children for choking and swallowing risks. Older kids and teens can also be at risk due to social media challenges, so parents should do their best to talk with their kids and be aware of what’s trending.
Learn more about pediatric specialty care at Avera
