Mum's warning after girl swallows loose toy battery & forced to eat honey to prevent corrosion in stomach

A young girl had to consume honey like Winnie the Pooh to prevent a battery from burning through her stomach after it fell out of a toy she bought on holiday. Adele Telford and her wife Emily, 33, took their three children to Haven's Wild Duck Holiday Park near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, for a weekend getaway. During the trip, they gave each child pocket money to spend on a toy. Their four-year-old daughter, Isabella, chose a light-up ring from the site’s entertainment centre.

After returning home, Isabella accidentally swallowed a button battery from the ring, prompting a rush to the hospital. At Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, she was fed honey to coat the battery and prevent corrosion, while X-rays were taken. Fortunately, Isabella passed the battery naturally and was discharged after overnight monitoring.

Adele reported that the batteries were only covered by 'hot glue,' which had disintegrated after one started leaking, causing them to come loose. Government guidance mandates that battery compartments must be securely fastened to prevent children from removing the batteries.

Haven said that the product complies with EU health and safety regulations, but they have temporarily removed it from sale while alerting the manufacturer, RWS Global, for further investigation.

Adele, a mother of three from Diss, Norfolk, is now warning other parents about the dangers of small batteries around young children. She explained: “We bought the light-up ring from the fun shop at the entertainment place. We gave the kids pocket money, and Isabella bought the ring.”

Recalling the incident, Adele said: “The kids were playing in the living room while we were doing things around the house. Isabella called out, saying she had swallowed something. After some coaxing, she revealed it was a battery from her toy ring. I immediately knew we had to go to A&E because of the dangers of button batteries.”

At the hospital, Isabella was set up in a bed, and Emily fed her 10ml of honey every 10 minutes until the doctor advised stopping. Adele expressed her concerns about the battery potentially burning Isabella’s throat or stomach.

Following the incident, Adele contacted Haven to complain about the button batteries. She received a generic reply but insists on raising awareness to prevent this from happening to another child. She said: “We were lucky, but another family might not be as fortunate,” she said. “If your child swallows a button battery, give them honey immediately and get to the nearest hospital.”

Haven confirmed that their product safety tests show compliance with EU regulations and have labelled the product with warnings about small components. The company has temporarily removed the product from sale and notified the manufacturer for further investigation.

A Haven spokesperson said: “The health and safety of our guests is our top priority. We are glad our guest is safe and well. We alerted the manufacturer immediately and are conducting a thorough investigation.”

RWS Global also said: “The health and safety of our customers are paramount. We have contacted the family and are glad to hear the guest is in good health. All our products undergo rigorous quality control and testing. We have removed this product from the shelves while we investigate.”