Kids' toys can do more than ever thanks to advances in technology, but with that advancement comes serious concerns for small children who can ingest parts of the toys.  

Trauma surgeons at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City are warning parents about the dangers of toys with magnets or button batteries after seeing several cases of them being ingested by kids.  

These magnets and button batteries can have lasting health impacts on children even after they’re removed. 

“We have seen several cases of children ingesting these items, and they can do serious harm like magnets pinching their intestines together or button batteries getting stuck and burning the esophagus,” said Laurie Baumann, MD, trauma surgeon at University of Utah Health and Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital. “In some cases, we have to do emergency surgery to remove them and it’s only the start of their health issues.” 

This happened to the McMillan family when their 1-year-old son, Luke, ingested a button battery from a toy, but no one knew it happened.  

His mother, Erica, noticed he had trouble eating and when they checked with local doctors in Arizona, they suggested it might be something else.  

When the issue persisted, they asked doctors for an X-ray and discovered the button battery, which had been lodged in Luke’s esophagus for months.  

“It was hard not knowing what’s wrong with your child, and then to find out it’s a button battery was terrifying,” said Erica. “I just want parents to know this can happen so quickly, and to know what toys they are playing with.” 

After the battery was removed, Erica’s family began looking for long-term treatment options for the damage done to his esophagus. They decided to bring Luke up to Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City for a less invasive treatment. 

Although the battery didn’t burn his insides, Luke, now 3 years old, must go to the hospital every six months to have his esophagus stretched to make sure it stays open.  

Doctors are hoping his body can grow out of needing the treatments, but for now, the damage is lasting. 

Surgeons note these toys aren’t bad, but might not be appropriate for young kids. If other children in the house have these toys, it’s important to discuss keeping them away from their smaller siblings. 

“These kinds of cases can have devastating impacts on a baby and it’s hard to know what’s happening because they’re too young to verbalize what’s happened,” said Dr. Baumann. “Our hope is by having this information before holiday shopping, we can help reduce these types of emergencies in the future.” 

Intermountain Health Platte Valley Hospital welcomes the holiday season with its annual Festival of Trees this month. 

Decorating takes place Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15 and 16.

The Festival of Trees tradition began three years ago to celebrate the holiday season and raise money for hospital programs that serve the community. This year’s event will feature 16 trees decorated by hospital departments, community groups, and businesses. Funds raised will go toward Platte Valley Women’s Health programs including increasing coordination and access to mental health for women. 

Groups will come to the hospital between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday to decorate their trees.

The beautifully decorated trees will be on display in the main hallway near the front entrance of the hospital, 1600 Prairie Center Parkway, Brighton. From Nov. 18 to Dec. 8, people can buy raffle tickets and use those to win their favorite tree. Tickets are $50 for one or $100 for 3.

From 1 to 3 p.m. on Dec. 8, the hospital will host a holiday tea in the bistro. The $50 entry includes one raffle ticket, crafts, music, and refreshments. The winning ticket for each tree will be drawn during the holiday tea. Each tree then will be wrapped in protective plastic so the winner can take it home and display it for the holiday season.

This year’s tree themes include O Holy Night, The Grinch, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Candyland, White Christmas, and Santa Paws which is organized by participants in the hospital’s pet therapy program.

In 2023, the hospital displayed 10 trees and raised about $10,000 from the event.

For more information about buying raffle tickets or attending the holiday tea, please visit https://f0t2024.cbo.io.