13-Month Old Toddler Dies After Swallowing Watch Battery

January 13, 2010 by Cathy Ribble  
Filed under: News

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Aidan Truett was a curious 13-month-old toddler, and like most toddlers, his little hand went straight to his mouth with almost everything he picked up.  That curiosity proved fatal for the young boy when he swallowed a watch battery approximately the size of a button.  Parents Lonnie and Michelle Truett are now living a nightmare as they come to grips with the reality of the death of their son.

Aidan’s parents first realized something was wrong when he began having trouble eating.

“I feel empty — there is a hole that will never close up, (because) he was my baby and he was precious,” Michelle Truett told Cincinnati WLWT-TV.  “I never would have thought in a million years that a battery could have been so deadly.”

Aiden’s father, Lonnie, told reporters, “It’s not just the acid — it’s the current passing through the tissues.”  In Aiden’s case, the effect was severe bleeding which eventually led to the young boy’s death.

Michelle and Lonnie want to send a message to all parents of young children.  They want parents to write down the battery size instead of saving one to take to the store.

The Ladens would also like manufacturers to place a child safety protective coating on the batteries in case a small child places the battery in his mouth.

The battery type which Aidan swallowed is known commonly as a button battery.  They are used in numerous household items, including watches, remotes, hearing aides, musical greeting cards, and other small electronic items.

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