Child hospitalized after swallowing common toy battery

VERNON, Connecticut -- The toddler's parents have a warning for other families after a button battery landed the 18-month-old in the emergency room.

The lithium button batteries are common in toys and other household items, like watches. If swallowed, the small batteries produce a powerful electrical charge that can cause burns.

The family of 18-month-old Cameron Soto found that out the hard way.

In December 2017, when Cameron was playing with his toys, his mother Marissa Soto realized there was something wrong and took him to the ER.

"We were waiting, he was getting worse," Soto said to WTIC-TV. "When they told me it looks like a button battery, I started screaming because I knew."

The batteries are particularly dangerous because they're small enough to swallow without choking. They can then cause burns in the digestive system.

Cameron had the battery surgically removed but a lot of damage was already done.

"The battery had burned his esophagus and he was swollen from the bottom of his brain to the top of his heart," said Soto.

Cameron was intubated for two and a half months. He still wears a trach and doctors say it is unclear if that will be permanent.