When it comes to keeping kids safe, it’s scary to think that sometimes it’s the plainest of household items that can actually be the deadliest.
And one of the worst offenders are button batteries.
Fifi Box discussed her own experience with button batteries on The Project. Source: Channel 10.
On Tuesday Choice and Kidsafe called for the Australian government to tighten its regulation around button batteries, which are commonly used in items like watches, kitchen and bathroom scales, thermometers, remote controls and children's birthday cards.
When swallowed, the electrical current of the batteries can cause burns in the oesophagus, a seriously painful experience for anyone, but particularly children. Sometimes, the burns can be deadly, with two Australian children having already lost their life to the simple accident.
Fifi and Trixie make one happy team. Source: Instagram.
Speaking about the issue on Tuesday night's edition of The Project, mum-of-one Fifi Box shared her own harrowing experience with the product, saying that her young daughter Trixie had previously been rushed to hospital after swallowing button batteries.
"I think we can be very quick to judge parents," Box began, before continuing, "I can speak from personal experience because I went through something incredibly scary where I took Trixie when she was 12 months to the Royal Children's Hospital and had the x-ray to find she'd swallowed three lithium batteries."
"Being this one's mum is everything," Box wrote. Source: Instagram.
Sounding emotional, Box continued, "I'll never forget the moment where the doctor came out with the x-ray. I mean I didn't sleep for 24 hours, and we were so fortunate because they passed through to a point where doctors were confident she would pass them, but I felt so guilty."
Box added that she's an incredibly diligent mum around the house when it comes to ensuring Trixie is safe and everything "bad" is out of reach, before adding, "it happened to me."
Tuesday night's panel on The Project. Source: Channel 10.
It's an important reminder not just to try and keep little ones safe, but to not judge parents when accidents do actually happen.