Swallowed Button Battery: Signs, What to Do and When to Go to the ER
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Swallowed Button Battery: Signs, What to Do and When to Go to the ER

Quick answer: A swallowed button battery is a medical emergency for any child, even if they seem completely fine. These small, coin-shaped batteries can react with saliva and burn through the throat or esophagus in as little as two hours, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). If you think your child swallowed one, or put one in their nose or ear, go to the nearest emergency room right away or call 911. Don’t wait for symptoms, don’t make your child vomit, and don’t give food or drink. In the U.S., children 12 months and older who swallowed the battery within the last 12 hours may be given honey on the way to the hospital, but only if it doesn’t delay the trip.

Why a swallowed button battery is so dangerous

Button batteries (also called coin or button cell batteries) are usually 1 to 2 cm across, about the size of some sweets, and they’re shiny and easy for a toddler to pick up. The danger isn’t mainly that the battery leaks. Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London explains that when a battery sits against moist tissue like the lining of the throat, saliva or mucus completes an electrical circuit. That reaction produces a strong alkali (similar to caustic soda) that burns the tissue around it.

Because the damage starts quickly and keeps going as long as the battery is in place, time matters. From 2011 through 2021, the CPSC knew of 27 deaths and an estimated 54,300 emergency room visits in the U.S. linked to swallowed or inserted button and coin batteries.

Two points surprise many parents:

  • “Dead” batteries are still dangerous. GOSH notes that used batteries can still have enough charge to cause burns, so treat them as carefully as new ones.
  • A child can look fine at first. Symptoms may not show up right away, even while damage is happening. That’s why experts say not to wait and watch.

Where button batteries hide in your home

Button batteries are in more everyday objects than most families realize, and the holiday season adds more of them. Common sources named by GOSH and KidsHealth (Nemours) include:

  • TV and other remote controls
  • Car key fobs
  • Watches and calculators
  • Electronic and light-up toys
  • Flameless (LED) candles, string lights and holiday decorations
  • Musical or sound-making greeting cards
  • Digital thermometers and glucose monitors
  • Hearing aids

Toddlers and young children are at highest risk because they explore by putting things in their mouths, noses and ears. Children can also get batteries from devices whose battery compartments open too easily or have broken.

Signs your child may have swallowed a button battery

Often, a parent doesn’t see the battery go in. You may simply notice a battery missing from a remote or a toy, or find your child with an open device. Signs listed by KidsHealth (Nemours) include:

  • Drooling
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Fever
  • Coughing, gagging or breathing problems
  • Throat pain, or refusing to eat or drink
  • Belly pain or diarrhea
  • Very dark or bloody stool
  • Unusual fussiness

GOSH adds that coughing up or vomiting blood can happen when a battery has caused damage. If a battery is in the nose or ear, you may see a nosebleed, bleeding from the ear or other drainage.

Important: No symptoms does not mean no problem. If a battery might have been swallowed, act as if it was.

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What to do right now if your child swallowed a button battery

  1. Go to the nearest emergency room right away, or call 911. Don’t wait to see if symptoms appear.
  2. Don’t make your child vomit. The battery can cause more injury on the way back up.
  3. Don’t give food or drink (other than honey, if it applies; see below).
  4. Bring the packaging or the device if you can grab it quickly, so the hospital knows the battery type and size. Don’t delay leaving to look for it.
  5. Call for advice on the way, not instead of going. In the U.S., you can call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 800-498-8666.
  6. Tell the ER staff right away that a button battery may have been swallowed or put in the nose or ear.

The honey question: what U.S. and U.K. sources say

This is one area where trusted sources don’t fully agree, so here is how they line up:

  • U.S. guidance (CPSC, citing the National Capital Poison Center, and KidsHealth): Honey may be given on the way to the hospital only if your child is at least 12 months old, the battery was swallowed within the last 12 hours, your child is not allergic to honey and is acting normally. The amount given in this guidance is 10 mL (about 2 teaspoons) every 10 minutes, for no more than six doses. Honey is a first-aid stopgap, not a treatment, and the CPSC is clear: do not delay going to the hospital to give honey.
  • U.K. guidance (Great Ormond Street Hospital, NHS): Do not give your child anything to eat or drink and get to A&E as fast as possible.
  • Everyone agrees: never give honey to babies under 12 months, and never let honey (or a phone call) slow down the trip to the ER.

If you’re unsure, skip the honey and just go. Poison Control can advise you on the way.

What happens at the hospital

Doctors usually take an X-ray to find the battery and estimate its size. If the battery is stuck in the esophagus, it is typically removed with an endoscope (a thin tube with a camera), usually under general anesthesia. The camera also lets doctors see whether there is any damage. GOSH notes that serious injuries can include burns or holes in the esophagus, an abnormal connection between the esophagus and windpipe, vocal cord damage and damage to large blood vessels. Some children need more surgery or temporary feeding support while they heal. Quick treatment gives your child the best chance of avoiding these complications.

When to call the doctor

A suspected swallowed button battery always needs the ER, not a wait-and-see call. But do call your child’s doctor, or the hospital team that treated them, if:

  • Your child develops new vomiting, fever, belly pain, throat pain or trouble eating or drinking in the days after a battery was removed or passed
  • You notice very dark or bloody stools
  • You have questions about follow-up care or whether your child needs another X-ray
  • You find a damaged or loose battery compartment and aren’t sure whether a battery is missing; when in doubt, go to the ER

When to go to the ER or call 911

Go to the ER immediately, or call 911, if:

  • You know or suspect your child swallowed a button battery, even if they seem well
  • A battery may be in your child’s nose or ear
  • A battery is missing from a device and your child had access to it

Call 911 if your child:

  • Is choking, struggling to breathe, or can’t speak or cry
  • Is coughing up or vomiting blood

How to prevent button battery injuries

  • Store batteries out of sight and reach, ideally locked away and still in their original packaging.
  • Check battery compartments. Use toys and devices with compartments that close with a screw. Tape loose compartments shut, and stop using or repair anything with a broken cover.
  • Get rid of used batteries right away in a battery recycling or drop-off bin, not a kitchen trash can a toddler can reach.
  • Do a sweep at your child’s eye level, especially when holiday decorations, flameless candles and new electronic gifts come out.
  • Don’t let children play with batteries or hold them while you change them.
  • Buy from reputable sellers, since their products are more likely to meet safety rules.
  • Tell grandparents, sitters and other caregivers about the risk, because remotes, watches and hearing aids at someone else’s house count too.

What Reese’s Law changed: Reese’s Law, passed in August 2022, led the CPSC to adopt a mandatory U.S. safety standard in 2023 for products with button or coin batteries. Battery compartments must need a tool (like a screwdriver or coin) or two separate hand movements at once to open, batteries must come in child-resistant packaging, and products and packaging must carry warnings. Toys made for children under 14 are covered by the separate toy safety standard. These rules help, but older devices and products bought from sellers who don’t follow them may not be protected, so storage and supervision still matter.

For more on keeping little ones safe this season, see our holiday toy safety guide, our Thanksgiving choking hazards guide for toddlers and our Halloween safety checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if my child swallowed a button battery?

Go to the nearest emergency room right away or call 911, even if your child seems fine. Don’t make them vomit and don’t give food or drink. In the U.S., children 12 months and older who swallowed it within 12 hours may get honey on the way, but never delay the trip for it.

How fast can a swallowed button battery cause damage?

The CPSC says a button battery can burn through a child’s throat or esophagus in as little as two hours. Damage can begin before any symptoms appear, which is why a suspected swallowed button battery should always be treated as an emergency.

Why is honey recommended for a swallowed button battery?

U.S. poison experts suggest honey as a first-aid step while you travel to the hospital, not as a replacement for emergency care. It is only for children 12 months and older, within 12 hours of swallowing, who aren’t allergic to honey. U.K. hospital guidance says to give nothing by mouth, so if unsure, skip it and go.

Can a dead button battery still hurt my child?

Yes. Great Ormond Street Hospital warns that used or “dead” button batteries can still hold enough charge to burn tissue. Store and dispose of old batteries as carefully as new ones, using a battery recycling bin out of children’s reach.

What are the signs a child swallowed a battery?

Signs can include drooling, vomiting, fever, coughing or breathing trouble, throat or belly pain, refusing to eat or drink, and very dark or bloody stool. Many children have no symptoms at first, so a missing battery plus access is reason enough to go to the ER.

What if a button battery is stuck in my child’s nose or ear?

Treat it as an emergency and go to the ER right away. A battery in the nose or ear can burn nearby tissue, and you may see bleeding or drainage.

Related guides

Sources

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your child’s doctor. If you think your child swallowed a button battery, go to the emergency room now.

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