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

Go to the emergency department straight away, even if your child seems completely fine. A battery stuck in the food pipe can cause serious burns in as little as 2 hours. Don't make them vomit. If it happened within the last 12 hours, your child is over 1 year old and can swallow, Poison Control advises giving 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of honey every 10 minutes on the way, but never delay going to give honey. Bring the battery packet or a matching battery if you can.

My child swallowed a magnet. Is that dangerous?

One small magnet on its own often passes, but two or more magnets, or a magnet and a piece of metal, can attract each other through the walls of the bowel and cause serious damage. Because you can rarely be sure only one was swallowed, any swallowed magnet should be checked the same day, and multiple magnets need the ER now.

Will a swallowed coin pass on its own?

Often, yes. MedlinePlus notes that an object that reaches the stomach without getting stuck will usually pass through the whole gut, often within a week. But a coin can lodge in the food pipe, especially in a small child, so get it checked the same day, and come in immediately if your child drools, can't swallow, vomits, coughs, or has chest, throat or tummy pain.

What are the signs something is stuck?

Drooling, refusing to eat or drink, trouble swallowing, vomiting, gagging, coughing, wheezing or noisy breathing, and pain in the chest, throat, neck or tummy. In babies, unusual irritability can be the only sign. Some children have mild or no symptoms at first, so a known swallowed battery or magnet always needs checking.

Should I make my child vomit?

No. Don't make your child vomit and don't put your fingers in their mouth to try to reach an object they have already swallowed. Vomiting can cause more damage, especially with a battery or a sharp object. If they are choking and can't breathe, cough or cry, call 911 and start choking first aid.

How do doctors check for a swallowed object?

Metal objects such as batteries, coins and many magnets show up on an X-ray, which tells the doctor where the object is and whether it has passed the food pipe. Some objects, such as plastic, don't show on X-ray. Depending on what and where it is, the object may be left to pass, or a specialist may need to remove it.

Child Swallowed a Battery, Magnet or Coin? What to Do

Young children explore the world with their mouths. According to MedlinePlus, children aged 6 months to 3 years are the most likely to swallow a foreign object: coins, beads, buttons and bits of toys. Most of these pass safely, but three kinds are genuinely dangerous and need fast action: button batteries from remote controls, watches and light-up toys; small, strong magnets; and sharp objects. This guide explains what to do in the first minutes, what not to do, and when to go to the ER.

If your child is choking right now

If your child can't breathe, talk, cry or cough, or is turning blue, call 911 now and start age-appropriate choking first aid (back blows then chest thrusts for a baby, abdominal thrusts for an older child). If they are coughing hard, encourage them to keep coughing and don't try to hook the object out with your fingers.

Why button batteries are so dangerous

According to Poison Control (the US National Capital Poison Center), most button batteries pass through and come out in the stool, but some get stuck, and those are the problem. When a battery lodges in the food pipe, an electrical current forms around it and produces an alkaline chemical that burns the tissue, and severe damage can happen in as little as 2 hours. There is no way to tell from the outside whether a battery will pass or get stuck, which is why you shouldn't wait for symptoms. Larger, coin-sized lithium batteries are the most dangerous.

What to do on the way

Leave now for the emergency department — don't wait for symptoms.
Don't make them vomit, and give nothing to eat or drink other than honey.
Honey: if your child is over 1 year old, it happened within the last 12 hours, and they can swallow, give 2 teaspoons (10 mL) every 10 minutes on the way, up to 6 doses. Never delay leaving to give honey, and never give honey to a baby under 1.
Bring the packet or a matching battery; the battery code helps the doctor.

Which swallowed objects need the ER?

Object	Risk	What to do
Button (coin cell) battery	Can burn through the food pipe within about 2 hours	ER now — even with no symptoms
Two or more magnets, or a magnet plus metal	Can pull together through the bowel wall	ER now — even with no symptoms
Sharp object (pin, needle, glass, bone)	Can cut or puncture the gut	ER now
Coin, bead, button or small smooth toy	Usually passes within a week, but can get stuck	Same-day check; ER now if any symptoms
Large object (over about 2.5 cm in a small child)	More likely to get stuck	Same-day check, sooner with symptoms

When to come in, and when to watch

Call 911 for

Choking: can't breathe, talk, cry or cough.
A blue face or lips, or loss of consciousness.
Vomiting blood after swallowing a battery or a sharp object.

Go to the ER / come in now

Any swallowed or suspected button battery — or a battery in the nose or ear.
More than one magnet, or a magnet with a metal object.
A sharp or pointed object.
Any object with drooling, trouble swallowing, vomiting, coughing, wheezing, or chest, neck or tummy pain.

Same-day check

A coin, bead or button, with your child eating, drinking and breathing normally.
A single magnet, or you're not sure exactly what was swallowed.
A fairly large object for the child's age.

Watching at home (after a check)

If the doctor confirms a small, smooth object has reached the stomach, check the stools until it comes out — this can take several days.
Come back straight away for fever, tummy pain, vomiting or blood in the stool.

Save Jordan's unified emergency number: 911. For more, see our guide to emergency numbers in Jordan. If tummy pain starts days later, our guide to stomach pain and when to go to the ER will help.

What happens at the ER

The doctor examines your child and asks what was swallowed and when. Batteries, coins and most magnets show on an X-ray, and at Emergency Plus X-ray is on site, so the doctor can quickly see where the object is and whether it has passed the food pipe. If the object is stuck or dangerous and needs removing with a scope, the team will arrange an immediate transfer to the right place. Speed is everything here, so don't delay coming in.

Prevention at home

Choose devices with a screw-closed battery compartment, and tape up a broken one.
Keep new and used batteries out of reach, and get rid of used ones straight away.
Watch out for remote controls, scales, watches, musical greeting cards and electric candles.
Keep small, strong magnet toys away from young children, and check toys for missing pieces.

If your child takes a fall or a knock to the head while playing, our guide to child head injuries and when to go to the ER explains the signs that matter.

Swallowed a battery or magnet?

Don't wait for symptoms. If your child is choking, call 911. Otherwise, come straight to the emergency department at Emergency Plus in Dabouq, Amman — open 24/7 with board-certified emergency physicians in the building around the clock, and on-site X-ray.

Call us 24/7: +962 79 247 1313

Sources

Medical disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you think you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately. Emergency Plus in Dabouq, Amman is open 24/7 — +962 79 247 1313.