A two-year-old girl died after swallowing a battery from a remote control which burned a hole through her food pipe.
Harper-Lee Fanthorpe died in hospital after swallowing the button battery which she got out of a remote control.
The acid seared through her throat and through a major artery, killing the youngster.
Her devastated mother Stacey Nicklin told an inquest into the toddler’s death that she didn’t realise the items could be so dangerous and urged other parents to be on their guard.
She only realised what had happened after later finding a remote control with a missing button battery in her daughter's bedroom.
As well as remote controls, button batteries are used in a wide range of products, from toys to watches and kitchen scales, reports the BBC.
The acid from them can burn a hole through major organs within hours, and doctors are warning of their dangers to young children following Harper’s tragic death.
Harper-Lee, from Stoke-on-Trent, was admitted to the Royal Stoke University Hospital on 23 May after she began vomiting blood at home.
Her inquest on 14 June heard how surgeons discovered a hole in the two-year-old's oesophagus.
They battled to save her, but during surgery the youngster suffered cardiac arrhythmia and died.
Consultant paediatrician Anna Pigott said staff fought as hard as they could to prevent Harper-Lee’s death, but her bleeding was too severe.
North Staffordshire coroner Andrew Barkley recorded her death as an accident.
Harper-Lee was sadly not the first child or suffered serious injury after swallowing a battery in the UK, Dr Pigott added.
She advised parents to look out for symptoms such as drooling as well as a child pointing to their throat or stomach.
"The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is aware of a number of deaths and very serious injuries involving other children who have swallowed button batteries in the UK, so this is clearly not an isolated incident,” Dr Pigott continued.
"The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health are concerned about the dangers of the batteries and are currently undertaking a national survey to identify how many children every year are killed or harmed by button batteries.
“Symptoms that may indicate a child has swallowed a battery include coughing or drooling, coughing up blood, and pointing to their throat or tummy. Children with any of these symptoms without another obvious reason should be taken to hospital immediately to be assessed. A simple X-ray can identify if a battery has been swallowed, and if it is likely to cause a danger.
"This is one of those cases that will stick in the hearts and minds of our medical and nursing teams for a very long time, and we urge parents to take note of this tragic incident so that any future cases can be prevented.”
Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Board has issued an urgent warning and said parents should take their child straight to A&E or call 999 if they think they have swallowed a battery.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council said it was a "tragic accident" and it would be working to help raise awareness of the dangers of button batteries.
