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Those musical greeting cards may be entertaining, however officials at the Montreal Children's Hospital are warning parents that the batteries can easily be ripped off these cards and may pose a serious threat to children. CBC News reports that if the batteries are swallowed or put into a child's nose or ears they can cause serious damage as once coming in contact with bodily fluids, the chemicals from the batteries can leak within hours.
Dr. Sam Daniel, an ear, nose and throat specialist at the hospital, said each case he has dealt with had some form of long-term complication.
The esophagus is especially vulnerable, he said.
“It can lead to perforation over time and it can be deadly if you perforate your swallowing pipe," Daniel said. "You develop nasty infections in the chest."
The batteries can also damage the ear, Daniel said.
"Some of the complications you see with that are hearing loss or stenosis of the canal," Daniel said. The ear drum can be destroyed "just from the alkali in the battery, which is much more corrosive than acid, damaging the tissue and the body."
Daniel said more than 3,000 children are reported to have swallowed batteries every year in the United States.
Batteries like the ones found in musical cards are used in many different small toys so definitely keep your eye out!
Daniel also recommends that parents not try and remove a battery from a child's ear, nose or throat unless easily accessible as it can cause more damage if you don't know what you are doing
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