Button Batteries and Magnets: The Hidden Dangers for Babies and Toddlers

Short answer: If you think your baby or toddler swallowed a button battery, go to the emergency room right away, even if they seem fine, and call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 800-498-8666 on the way. A swallowed button battery can burn through a child’s throat in as little as two hours. Swallowing two or more magnets, or a magnet and a piece of metal, is also an emergency.

I once found a coin battery from a remote on the floor, inches from where Adam was playing. That evening I went through every gadget in our home.

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

Go to the nearest emergency room immediately, and call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline (800-498-8666) while you’re on your way.

You don’t need to be sure. If a battery is missing and your baby was nearby, treat it as swallowed. The National Capital Poison Center says an x-ray is usually needed right away to find out where the battery is, so this isn’t something you can check at home. Here’s what to do in the moment:

What happened	What to do
Swallowed, or might have swallowed, a button battery	Go to the ER immediately. Call 800-498-8666 on the way. If you can quickly find the battery package or the device, bring it: the battery’s ID number helps.
Battery in the nose or ear	Get medical care right away. Don’t use nose or ear drops until a doctor has checked your child.
Swallowed two or more magnets, or a magnet and metal	Get medical attention immediately.
Swallowed medicine, a cleaner, or something else	Call Poison Help at 800-222-1222. Call 911 if your child is struggling to breathe or won’t wake up.

Don’t make your child throw up, and apart from honey for children 12 months and older (more on that below), don’t give anything to eat or drink until an x-ray shows the battery has moved past the esophagus. These steps come from the National Capital Poison Center, which runs the battery hotline.

Why are button batteries so dangerous?

A battery stuck in the throat can create a chemical reaction that burns the tissue around it, fast.

When a button battery lodges in the esophagus, an electrical current forms around it and produces a caustic chemical that damages tissue. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns this can burn through a child’s throat in as little as two hours. The National Capital Poison Center says the 20 mm lithium coin cell is the battery most often involved in serious esophageal injuries. Smaller batteries get stuck less often, but they can still cause serious harm, especially in babies under 1.

Can I give my baby honey after swallowing a battery?

Not if your baby is under 12 months: honey is not safe for babies under 1, and the ER is the only step that matters.

You may have heard that honey can help. Here is exactly what the National Capital Poison Center’s guideline says, and it’s quoted by the CPSC too. Honey slows the injury but does not prevent it, so it is only ever something to do on the way to the hospital.

Age	Honey?
Under 12 months	No. Honey is not safe for babies under 1. Go straight to the ER.
12 months and older	Only if the battery was swallowed in the past 12 hours, your child can swallow, and honey is already on hand: 10 mL (2 teaspoons) every 10 minutes, for up to 6 doses, on the way to the ER. Use regular store-bought honey.

Never delay leaving to find or give honey. If you’re unsure, skip it and drive.

Why are swallowed magnets dangerous?

Two or more magnets can find each other through the walls of the intestines and get stuck, which can cause serious injury.

The CPSC explains that swallowed high-powered magnets “can attract to each other, or to another metal object.” That can lead to holes, twisting, or blockage of the intestines, infection, and in rare cases death. Warning signs are mostly tummy symptoms: belly pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. If you think your child swallowed magnets, the CPSC advises getting medical attention immediately.

Where do button batteries and magnets hide at home?

Almost anywhere there’s a small gadget, which is why a room-by-room check is worth 15 minutes.

• Button batteries: remote controls, key fobs, hearing aids, watches, toys and games, flashing jewelry, singing greeting cards, and spare battery packs.
• Magnets: magnet sets sold as desk toys or fidgets, magnetic building toys with loose or broken pieces, and small fridge magnets that can come apart.

Babies explore with their mouths, and that’s healthy and normal. The CDC encourages letting babies mouth safe objects that aren’t sharp, hot, or small enough to choke on. Our book The First-Year Mind pairs every play idea for the first year with simple safety notes like these, so the fun stuff stays the safe stuff.

How do I keep button batteries and magnets away from my baby?

Secure the compartments, store spares out of reach, and get used batteries out of the house.

1. Check every battery compartment. Toys must have closures that need a tool to open. For other products, keep anything without a screw-shut compartment away from your child, and repair or replace anything with a broken cover.
2. Store spares up high, in their original child-resistant packaging, inside a closed cabinet.
3. Tape used batteries. The CPSC suggests putting non-conductive tape over a used battery as soon as you take it out, then taking it to a battery collection point. “Dead” batteries can still be dangerous.
4. Skip magnet sets while you have little ones at home, and check magnetic toys for loose or missing pieces.
5. Do a floor sweep before playtime, especially after guests or older kids have been over.

With my own baby, I started doing a quick battery hunt in each room once everything started going straight into my baby’s mouth, and the number of gadgets with little coin cells surprised me.

For other everyday safety questions, see Gagging vs. choking and Are baby walkers safe?

Frequently asked questions