Child swallowed foreign object or button battery¶

Children frequently explore by putting small objects into their mouths. While many small objects pass safely through the digestive tract, certain items like button batteries and high-powered magnets present immediate, life-threatening dangers.

Do this now¶

1. Check for airway obstruction: If the child is struggling to breathe, coughing weakly, or turning blue, perform age-appropriate choking relief (back blows and chest thrusts for infants under 1 year; abdominal thrusts / Heimlich maneuver for children over 1 year) and call 911 immediately.
2. If a button battery was swallowed, treat as an extreme emergency: Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department right away. An electrical current generated by a trapped button battery reacts with saliva to produce caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), causing severe chemical burns through the esophagus in as little as two hours.
3. If the child is over 1 year old and button battery ingestion occurred within 12 hours: Give 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of pure commercial honey every 10 minutes on the way to the hospital (up to 6 doses max). Honey coats the battery and slows chemical burning. Do not give honey to infants under 1 year old due to botulism risk.
4. If multiple magnets were swallowed: Go to the emergency room immediately. Two or more magnets can attract each other across intestinal walls, causing bowel perforation, tissue necrosis, and severe infection.
5. Do not induce vomiting: Never give syrup of ipecac, salt water, or force vomiting, as vomiting can lodge the object in the airway or cause throat tearing.

High-risk swallowed items requiring emergency evaluation¶

• Button batteries: Disc-shaped batteries found in key fobs, toys, watches, and hearing aids.
• Multiple magnets or magnet plus metal object: Buckyballs, magnetic toy sets, or cabinet latches.
• Sharp objects: Needles, open safety pins, glass shards, or metal screws.
• Large coins or heavy metal objects: Objects larger than 20 mm that become stuck in the narrow esophagus.

When to seek immediate hospital evaluation¶

Even if the initial swallowing incident was not witnessed, seek immediate medical care if a child displays:

• Drooling or inability to swallow saliva.
• Refusal to eat or drink.
• Unexplained chest pain, neck pain, or deep throat pain.
• Vomiting or coughing up blood.
• Unexplained fever or abdominal swelling.