A TODDLER who swallowed a button battery died after initially diagnosed with tonsillitis, a new report has confirmed.

Healthcare officials are now warning parents and medics to recognise the signs of battery ingestion by small kids.

The report from the Healthcare Safety Investigation Brand (HSIB) recommends that the government put procedures in place to make button batteries safer - including a standard covering to their design and product casing.

The three-year-old's tragic death happened in the run-up to Christmas 2017.

She swallowed a 23mm battery but was mistakenly diagnosed with tonsillitis and prescribed antibiotics.

After three days, the toddler died

After three days of yet more GP and hospital visits - all of which resulted in her being given more drugs - she died.

The report said that her death highlighted the significant risk of the batteries becoming lodged in the food pipe and causing a chemical reaction.

Within just two hours of swallowing them, the battery fluid can erode vital tissue.

The batteries can be found in anything from toys to car fobs.

Signs your child has swallowed a battery

The tricky thing is that it's not always obvious when a child has swallowed a battery.

It's also hard to know what they've done if you're not around.

It could be that a product has dropped on the floor and the batteries have fallen out, or spare ones are left in an easy-to-reach drawer.

There's only one thing specific to button battery ingestion and that's vomitting fresh, bright red blood.

If your child does that you absolutely have to get them immediate medical help.

Other symptoms can include:

1. Suddenly developing cough, gag or drool a lot

2. Appearing to have a stomach upset or a virus

3. Being sick

4. Pointing to their throat or tummy

5. Having a pain in their tummy, chest or throat

6. Being tired or lethargic

7. Being quieter or more clingy than usual or otherwise ‘not themselves’

8. Losing their appetite or have a reduced appetite

9. Not wanting to eat solid food / be unable to eat solid food

HSIB chief investigator Keith Conradi said: "In this instance, we are not just putting the onus on public safety awareness but also looking at what can be done before products reach homes and what clinical staff need to be aware of to make the right diagnosis.

"As we've seen in our reference case, the consequences of a child swallowing a button/coin cell battery can be devastating. We've worked closely with national organisations to ensure our safety recommendations help prevent this happening to other families."

Professor Derek Burke, a consultant in paediatric medicine who advised the investigation team, said: "Treatment and management of children under five even when a button/coin cell battery is suspected or known is a major challenge for frontline clinicians.

"This is made even harder when unknown due to the nature of symptoms and other conditions that need to be considered.

"The HSIB report shines a light on this issue and the recommendation made to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health will help to support this decision-making process, especially when clinical staff are in a busy environment and faced with time-critical decisions."