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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

‘I DO NOT want to see you at Christmas’

240 replies

SelotapeChicken · 17/12/2025 06:12

Yes I got your attention. I’m not being unreasonable I could save your kids life. Also I am the op of the previous aibu post but I binned my account in a social media cleanse and then realised I needed to try and reshare tbe post. Finally I started a new thread because im
afraid people will see 2024 and think
’zombie thread and disregard my post’

It’s Christmas I am a colorectal surgeon and we have had to perform 5 emergency operations in 2 weeks related to button batteries but this is so far from the normal, it is increasing exponentially
If you suspect your child or elderly person with dementia or anyone with SEND and who has difficulty communicating has swallowed a button battery and I mean if you even notice the compartment on a battery operated toy or tea light is open and missing and you didn't see you child swallow it. GO IMMEDIATELY TO A&E! Button batteries and shiny, easy to grab for
Toddler and easy to confuse for tablets for elderly patients

If your child is over the age of 12 months old give 2 teaspoons of honey every 10 mins until you reach hospital. This is crucial and will coat the battery so it doesn't burn the oesophagus or intestines.
Yes it's not ideal if the child needs surgery but there are emergency procedures we can do to minimise risk of aspiration and the risk of aspiration of honey is less than the risk posed of the battery.

I can’t tell you to give honey to an under 12 month old baby because it’s against nhs guidelines but I would have no issue giving it to my child if I knew they’d eaten a button battery.

In the US, all energiser branded button batteries are coated to taste bitter and covered in a safe dye that dyes the tongue and mouth blue. This is being rolled out the Uk slowly but surely.
There are photos online portraying the damage that honey does to the battery on the slice of ham but it's not to be looked at because the whole point of the honey is to coat the battery and help it not stay too long in one place and move through the digestive tract.

I will also add these absolutely horrific orbeez things to this thread but really they need banning from the world.
If your nursery or child care provider uses them in sensory play, please tell them to stop or move child care providers (hard I know) but orbeez feel brilliant to children and when they have no taste so when they're exploring orally it's very very easy to eat them. And you can't see them on xray until they're a certain size and even then they look like built up gas in the bowel. Obviously if the child has ingested loads then they you see them. However if it's one or 2 they can be tiny when swallowed but they continue to expand and expand, they can case major bowel obstructions.
Please do this. No orbeez and keep and eye out for button batteries (god why are they in so many toys??!)
First photo is a button battery on ham for 30
Mins, second photos is an orbeez removed from
A child and the 3rd shows you how many much they can expand from
The original.
Don't let it impact your life but just keep it at the forefront
If this stops 1 more family from meeting me for surgery on their child then good!

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‘I DO NOT want to see you at Christmas’
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‘I DO NOT want to see you at Christmas’
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‘I DO NOT want to see you at Christmas’
OP posts:
GaspingGekko · 17/12/2025 06:16

Thanks OP. I hope you have a quiet Christmas.

IndolentCat · 17/12/2025 06:19

Thank you 🙏

wishing you a quiet Christmas

AnotherDayanotherNameChangeX · 17/12/2025 06:20

This is the best thread I’ve seen on here in a longtime, thank you!

Velocity · 17/12/2025 06:21

Bumping the thread and thanks

Frumpitydoo · 17/12/2025 06:25

Thankyou OP. Wishing you peace this Christmas.

Penisbeakeralltheclassics · 17/12/2025 06:30

thanks OP. A quiet Xmas to you.

Hagnumber4 · 17/12/2025 06:33

Thanks so much for this OP! Hope you have a quiet Christmas 🎄

HeyBulldog · 17/12/2025 06:34

Thank you OP, I hope you have a peaceful Xmas 🙏

Pineleaf6 · 17/12/2025 06:35

Thank you

PaperBlueCornflower · 17/12/2025 06:37

Bump.
Thank you.

RandomNewIdentity · 17/12/2025 06:37

Thank you. Let's keep this trending

RedAndGreenShouldAlwaysBeSeen · 17/12/2025 06:38

Thanks OP

Justchilling07 · 17/12/2025 06:38

Thank you op, this is a really good, important thread 🙏

itsgettingweird · 17/12/2025 06:38

Good on you for giving a warning.

Too many people would watch and wait because the don’t fancy an and e at Christmas.

I hope yours is peaceful Flowers

LovingLimePeer · 17/12/2025 06:45

Really hope this is picked up as a daily mail article. Not that I like the paper but it has a large distribution online.

We should all know this and it's pretty shameful we haven't rolled out the dye/bitter taste changes.

LovingLimePeer · 17/12/2025 06:47

LovingLimePeer · 17/12/2025 06:45

Really hope this is picked up as a daily mail article. Not that I like the paper but it has a large distribution online.

We should all know this and it's pretty shameful we haven't rolled out the dye/bitter taste changes.

My friend saw an aorto-oesophageal fistula after a child swallowed a button battery. His description always stuck with me.

MyDeftDuck · 17/12/2025 06:48

Many thanks for this thread OP and in the kindest way, I hope you are twiddling your thumbs over Christmas! Stay safe, take care xx

SelotapeChicken · 17/12/2025 06:50

LovingLimePeer · 17/12/2025 06:47

My friend saw an aorto-oesophageal fistula after a child swallowed a button battery. His description always stuck with me.

Oh dear God no! I was assisting in one of those during my training. Never leapt out the way faster! Thank goodness we had the ability to go onto heart bypass is all I can say. This was a fish bone though in an adult not a battery

OP posts:
PermanentTemporary · 17/12/2025 06:53

Bumping. Thank you.

PoppyFleur · 17/12/2025 06:54

Thank you @SelotapeChickena timely reminder. I hope, in the nicest way, that your Christmas is very quiet and emergency free.

Menopausio · 17/12/2025 06:55

Thank you @SelotapeChicken .

Thehop · 17/12/2025 06:57

Sharing this info with parents at our nursery. Thanks OP

cariadlet · 17/12/2025 06:57

Thanks for the reminder @SelotapeChicken

JukeboxJive2 · 17/12/2025 07:04

I sincerely hope this goes viral. Thank you OP.

SparklyGlitterballs · 17/12/2025 07:05

Continuing to bump this thread as it's so important. Thank you OP.

You mention photos, but I can't see any. Were they not approved?