Dangers of Button Batteries and Magnets

The upcoming holidays are likely to bring new toys and electronics into your home. But potential dangers hide in some of these products: button batteries and high-powered magnets.

Button cell batteries and lithium coin batteries are disc-shaped batteries found in games, toys and other devices. It’s too easy for children to swallow them — either partially or completely — or get them stuck in their ears or noses. Besides being a choking hazard, these batteries can burn the tissue in the ears, nose and esophagus (the tube that connects the throat to the stomach). If swallowed, a button cell battery can burn through a child’s esophagus in as little as two hours. If you suspect a child has ingested a battery, call the 24-hour National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 800-498-8666 or take them to an emergency room at once.

Know which devices in your home use button and coin batteries and ensure battery compartments are secure. Keep these devices completely out of reach of very young children and warn older kids of the dangers.

Magnets can cause injury or death when a child swallows two or more and they stick together inside the body. Surgery may be needed to remove them. Powerful magnetic balls and cubes sold as stress relievers or fidget toys are especially dangerous. Young children should never play with magnets. For older kids, warn them to never put magnets in their mouth.

Learn more about toy safety and get a safety checklist for home.