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Child Swallowed a Coin or Button Battery: What to Do Right Now (Video)

2:14 min

Read the full written guide: Child Swallowed a Coin or Button Battery: What to Do Right Now →

Learn the critical steps to take if your child swallows a button battery, a magnet, or a coin. This video breaks down the urgency, signs to watch for, and what to do at home and in the hospital. We also share quick tips on making your home safer and the one decisive action you should never skip. This is general guidance, not a medical diagnosis.

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Transcript

Button battery or coin, what's the real emergency?

Button battery or coin, what's the real emergency?

Stay tuned, because the one thing you must do right after a child swallows a battery comes at the end.

Button battery emergency

If a button battery or a magnet is swallowed, rush to the nearest emergency department immediately. Do not make the child vomit, give food, or drink. Bring the battery or its packaging for the doctors.

Burn time in esophagus

A battery can start burning tissue in the esophagus in as little as two hours, and damage keeps growing even after removal. That’s why immediate medical care is critical.

Coin ingestion signs

Watch for choking signs like blue lips or inability to speak, call emergency right away. If the child is coughing, drooling, or points to throat pain, go to the hospital. Even without symptoms, see a doctor today for an X-ray.

Age matters

Under six months, any swallowed object needs a doctor’s look. Between six months and three years is the peak risk, tiny airways are just a straw wide. Older kids may hide what they swallowed, so stay calm and ask.

After doctor says let it pass

If the X-ray shows the coin is already in the stomach and the child feels fine, most doctors will send you home. Keep a normal diet, watch stools, and return immediately if pain, vomiting, fever, or blood appear.

Home battery safety

Make your home safer by keeping batteries out of reach. Store spares high, lock them, and tape battery compartments shut. Dispose of used cells in a sealed container and recycle them promptly.

The one thing to do

If you’re ever unsure whether the object is a coin or a battery, treat it as a battery. Go straight to the emergency department, time is critical.

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Read the full guide

The full guide is on thecareonline.com. General information only, so check with your doctor for your own case.

Nothing on The Care Online is medical advice. Traditional practices are described as tradition, not as fact. Take a persistent or serious concern to a qualified professional. See how videos and posts are made on our methodology page.