What You Need to Know About Children and Button Batteries

Published date: December 17, 2019
Updated date: May 09, 2024

Button batteries in household items like remotes and toys pose a severe risk if swallowed by children. A swallowed battery can burn the esophagus within hours. Symptoms include trouble swallowing and chest pain. Immediate medical attention is crucial.

Letting your child play with the TV remote might seem harmless, but the button battery inside is very dangerous if swallowed. Button batteries are about the size of a nickel and are also found in toys and musical greeting cards.

* If you think your child may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. The information provided here is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, it is for informational purposes only.

Once swallowed, the battery can become lodged in the child’s throat. The saliva creates an electrical current, which causes a chemical reaction that can burn the esophagus within a few hours. About 3,000 kids swallow button batteries each year.

If you think your child has swallowed a button battery, take them to their doctor or nearest emergency department immediately!

Symptoms include:

Trouble swallowing
Drooling
Pain in chest or passageway
Throat pain

If your child has any of these symptoms and you think they’ve swallowed a button battery, a visit to your doctor or local ER is vital. Injury can occur in three to four hours. According to safekids.org, it may not be obvious at first that something is wrong since your child is breathing and playing like normal. You might think they have a cold or the flu.

Watch the video below for a simple message for parents and guardians when it comes to keeping kids safe around button batteries.