Unlike Tide Pods, the ingestion of coin batteries is not a mindless challenge or an honest mistake. It occurs in children aged 0–6, an age group still in the early stages of cognitive development. In other words, repackaging it to look not ingestible is not going to help. But not all hope is lost. Enter Energizer Ultimate Child Shield coin lithium batteries.
Billed as the world’s only coin lithium battery that prevents burning if swallowed, the Energizer Ultimate Child Shield starts with child-resistant packaging as the first line of defense. But in the event the child has access to the battery—whether from an opened pack or a device—the world’s only Color Alert technology and a non-toxic bitter coating step in to deter ingestion.
The latter is pretty straightforward. The goal is simple. If it tastes awful—which, in this case, it is bitter—the kid may spit it out, thus offering the second line of defense. But if even that fails to deter the adorable, unstoppable chowhound, Color Alert will dye the mouth blue upon contact with saliva. This helps alert caregivers that an ingestion may have occurred, so they can act quickly to prevent life-threatening burns from ingestion.
So, no, ingestion burns are not unavoidable consequences. For those who don’t know, a 20 mm battery is almost the same diameter as a child’s esophagus, and this increases the risk of it being lodged when swallowed. If this happens, the battery can cause esophageal burning in as little as 15 minutes and life-threatening injuries within a few hours, so it is critical to seek immediate medical attention.
In addition to the child-resistant packaging, the bitter taste, and Color Alert tech, it looks like the battery also boasts “no-burn technology,” as indicated on the product page. However, this “feature” exists only as a mention, with no details on how it actually works.
Anyhoo, the good news is this is not some concept product. The Energizer Ultimate Child Shield coin lithium batteries are available in stores in the U.S. (though pricing isn’t mentioned) and come in 2032, 2025, and 2016 cell sizes. Oh, and the tech on this new coin battery also works for cats and dogs.
Images: Energizer.