Swallowed button battery: go to the ER now, and give honey on the way only if your child is 1 or older
Poison Control says more than 3,500 people in the United States swallow button batteries every year, and a battery stuck in the esophagus can cause severe damage in just 2 hours. The coin cells inside remotes, key fobs and flameless candles are the ones to worry about most. [S1] [S3]
Our take: if you think a child swallowed a battery, call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 1-800-498-8666 or head straight to the ER, even if they seem fine. If they’re 1 or older, it happened within the last 12 hours and honey is already in the kitchen, give 2 teaspoons every 10 minutes on the way. At home, keep battery doors shut and tape dead coin cells twice before they leave your hand. That’s our suggestion based on Poison Control and CPSC guidance. [S1] [S2] [S4]
The numbers to remember
| The number | What it means | Which page says so |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | A battery stuck in the esophagus can cause severe damage this fast, and it has to come out as quickly as possible | Poison Control |
| 1-800-498-8666 | The 24 hour National Battery Ingestion Hotline. Your poison center at 1-800-222-1222 or webPOISONCONTROL also works | Poison Control |
| 12 hours | Honey only helps if the battery was swallowed within the last 12 hours, and only for children 12 months or older who can swallow | Poison Control |
| 2 teaspoons every 10 minutes | The honey dose (10 mL) on the way to the ER, up to 6 doses. It slows the injury but doesn’t replace getting the battery out | Poison Control |
| 20 mm | The lithium coin cells most often behind serious cases, often labeled CR2032, CR2025 or CR2016. They sit between a penny (19 mm) and a nickel (21 mm) | Poison Control |
Under 1 year old: no honey. Poison Control says honey isn’t safe for babies under 12 months, so go straight to the ER.
Why minutes matter
Poison Control says most swallowed batteries pass on their own, but there’s no way to tell at home which one will get stuck. A coin cell lodged in the esophagus can burn through tissue, and severe damage can happen in 2 hours. [S1] [S3]
- Size matters. Poison Control says to take extra care with any battery the size of a penny or bigger. The 20 mm lithium coin cells are the size most often involved in serious cases. [S2] [S3]
- Dead isn’t safe. Poison Control says a used battery can still hold enough charge to cause serious harm, and about 30 percent of swallowed batteries in one study had been thrown away or left sitting out. [S4]
- It’s often unseen. Poison Control’s guideline says most serious ingestions aren’t witnessed, and a child with a stuck battery may show no symptoms at first. [S2]
- It changed the law. Reese’s Law, signed in August 2022, is named for Reese, who was 16 months old when she swallowed a lithium coin cell from a remote control and died 6 weeks later. It led to the CPSC rule on battery compartments and warnings. [S4] [S5]
If it was swallowed
- Get help right away. Call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 1-800-498-8666, use webPOISONCONTROL, or call your poison center at 1-800-222-1222. Don’t wait for symptoms. [S1] [S3]
- Expect an x-ray. Poison Control says in most cases an x-ray is needed right away to make sure the battery is past the esophagus. The hotline can help decide based on the person’s age and the battery’s size. [S1]
- Don’t make them vomit. Poison Control says don’t induce vomiting. [S1]
- Honey, only if they qualify. For a child 1 or older who can swallow, within 12 hours, give 2 teaspoons of honey every 10 minutes on the way to the ER. Don’t delay the trip to give it. [S1] [S2]
- Nothing else by mouth. Other than honey, no food or drink until an x-ray shows the battery is past the esophagus. [S1]
- Bring the battery ID. If it’s at hand, bring the package or a matching battery, because the ID number helps. [S1]
The honey rule
Poison Control’s guideline lists every condition, and all of them have to be true. [S2]
- It could be a lithium coin cell. Assume it is unless you know it was a hearing aid battery. [S2]
- The child is 12 months or older. Honey isn’t safe for babies under 1 because of the botulism risk. [S2] [S4]
- It happened within 12 hours. After that, skip the honey and just go. [S2]
- They can swallow. And the honey is already there. Poison Control says don’t waste time going to the store for it. [S2] [S4]
- The dose. 10 mL, which is 2 teaspoons, every 10 minutes, up to 6 doses. The guideline prefers commercial honey over artisanal honey. [S2]
- What it does. The guideline says honey coats the battery and slows the injury but doesn’t stop it, and it never replaces getting the battery out. [S2]
Where the sources differ
Who gets honey: Poison Control’s consumer page just says “the child,” while its triage guideline sets the line at 12 months or older. Our reading: follow the guideline, and for a teen or adult, ask the hotline rather than guessing. [S1] [S2]
Taping dead batteries: some disposal advice, including our old batteries guide, says tape around a coin cell or bag it. Poison Control cites a study where one layer of masking or electrical tape didn’t stop the current, while two wraps, one horizontal and one vertical, stopped it for all six tapes tested. Our reading: wrap twice. [S4]
The trash: the federal warning now printed on battery packages says not to put batteries in household trash, while Poison Control notes many states still allow button batteries in the trash. Our reading: recycle where you can, and tape them twice either way. [S6] [S4]
Signs to watch
- When nobody saw it. Poison Control’s guideline lists noisy breathing, drooling, vomiting, chest pain, trouble swallowing, refusing food, and coughing, choking or gagging while eating or drinking. Any of these with a battery missing is a reason to call. [S2]
- After a swallow. Watch for fever, belly pain, vomiting or blood in the stool, and report them right away. If the battery didn’t need to come out, check the stools until it passes. [S1]
- Nose or ear. Signs are pain or discharge. Use no nose or ear drops until a doctor has examined the person, because fluids can make a battery injury worse. [S1]
Battery-proof the house
Poison Control lists the usual hiding spots: remotes, flameless candles and tea lights, garage door openers, key fobs, bathroom scales, toys, watches, calculators, digital thermometers, hearing aids, singing greeting cards, flashing shoes and lighted jewelry. [S3]
- Close the compartments. Tape shut any battery door that opens easily, and favor products that need a screwdriver or have a child-resistant lock. [S3]
- Know the newer rule. CPSC says Reese’s Law requires battery compartments that need a tool or two separate hand movements at once to open, batteries that don’t come loose in use and abuse testing, and warnings on packaging. Products made or imported from October 23, 2023 must comply, with enforcement from March 19, 2024. Older gadgets in your drawer may not meet it. [S5]
- Spares out of sight. Keep spare and to-recycle batteries out of sight and reach, and keep new ones in the original package until you use them. [S3] [S6]
- Tape the dead ones twice. Wrap all the way around, once horizontally and once vertically, and don’t leave them sitting out. Poison Control says taping doesn’t affect recycling. [S4]
- Swap batteries privately. Don’t change batteries in front of young kids. [S3]
- Adults too. Never hold batteries in your mouth, and store them away from pills and food, since hearing aid batteries get mistaken for pills. [S3]
Using flameless candles this season? Our candle guide covers where they beat a flame.
What to do now
Pick who it is and what happened. The answer puts the Poison Control steps from this page in one place. It doesn’t replace the hotline. [S1] [S2]
Choose who it is to start.
Battery check, room by room
Around the house
Quick answers
My child seems fine. Do we still need to go?
Yes. Poison Control’s guideline says a child with a battery stuck in the esophagus may have no symptoms at first, so don’t wait for them. The hotline can help decide how urgent the x-ray is. [S2] [S1]
Should I make them throw up?
No. Poison Control says don’t induce vomiting. [S1]
Can I give honey to a teen or adult?
Poison Control’s honey guidance is written for children 12 months or older. For a teen or adult, call the hotline and follow what they say. [S2]
Are dead button batteries still dangerous?
Yes. Poison Control says used batteries can still hold enough charge to cause serious injury, which is why it says to tape them twice. [S4]
Do hearing aid batteries count?
Yes, call. Poison Control’s guideline says smaller cells get stuck less often but can still cause serious injury, especially in children under 1. [S2]
Are products ranked here?
No. This guide explains published Poison Control and CPSC information. It doesn’t rank or endorse any product or brand, and no products were tested for it.
Sources
Official pages checked November 4, 2026. Recommendations here are our editorial reading of those pages; no hands-on results are claimed.
- S1 · Poison Control (National Capital Poison Center): Swallowed a button battery? Battery in the nose or ear? (no page date shown)
- S2 · Poison Control: Battery ingestion triage and treatment guideline (revised 9/2016 and 6/2018)
- S3 · Poison Control: Safety tips for button batteries (no page date shown)
- S4 · Poison Control: Tape button batteries before disposing of them (no page date shown)
- S5 · U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Button Cell and Coin Battery FAQs (no page date shown)
- S6 · eCFR: 16 CFR Part 1263, Safety Standard for Button or Coin Batteries and Consumer Products Containing Such Batteries (rule published Sep 21, 2023, 88 FR 65295)