If you suspect your child has swallowed or inserted a button battery:
- call Triple Zero (000) immediately if your child is having any difficulty breathing
- call 13 11 26 immediately for 24/7 fast and expert advice from the Poisons Information Centre.
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About button batteries
A button battery is a small, flat, round battery. They are used to power small portable electronic devices. They are available in different sizes and resemble a button or coin and are also known as coin batteries.
You can find button batteries in many household products. These include remote controls, watches, computers, cameras, calculators, torches, fitness devices, musical greeting cards, digital scales, and home medical devices such as thermometers.
Many children’s toys also use button batteries to produce light and sound effects. These include plush toys, toy cars, digital pets, early learning watches, light-up yo-yos, games, and musical books.
Risks and injuries from the product
Button batteries are dangerous to children if swallowed or inserted. They can become stuck in your child’s throat and result in serious lifelong injuries or death. Insertion of button batteries into body parts such as the ears or nose can lead to serious injuries.
Children up to 5 years of age are at greatest risk because of their narrower oesophagus and tendency to place small objects into their mouths, ears and noses. Preventing access to button batteries is critical.
This video from Health Canada explains the dangers of swallowing a button battery.
How swallowing a button battery injures children
If swallowed, button batteries can lodge in your child’s throat.
An electrical current is immediately triggered by saliva that causes a chemical reaction. This can cause severe burns to the child’s oesophagus and internal organs such as the arteries, lungs, heart, larynx and spine. Serious injury can occur in as little as two hours and the results can be fatal.
Once burning begins, damage can continue even after the button battery is removed. Repairing the damage is painful. It may require multiple surgeries and on-going treatment over many years.
If you suspect a child has swallowed or inserted a button battery
- Call Triple Zero (000) immediately if your child is having any difficulty breathing.
- Call the Poisons Information Centre immediately on 13 11 26.
You can call at any hour for expert advice. The Poisons Information Centre can direct you to an appropriate medical facility. Not every health facility can manage injuries from button batteries. Availability of care depends on where you live. - Prompt action is critical.
- Do not wait for symptoms to develop.
- Do not let the child eat or drink.
- Do not induce vomiting.
Things to look for when buying the product
Three children have died in Australia from incidents involving button batteries, and many children have been seriously injured due to swallowing or inserting button batteries.
Four mandatory standards have been introduced for button batteries and products containing button batteries, to reduce the risk of death and injury associated with their use. These button battery mandatory standards cover:
- how button batteries, products containing them, and packaging must be designed and tested
- the warning and safety information that must be provided.
Avoid products that contain button batteries
The safety risk arises when children can access the batteries. Avoiding products containing button batteries where possible and keeping them away from children can reduce the risk.
- Avoid products with button batteries if you have children.
- If you have children, or children visiting your home, try to avoid products that contain button batteries.
- Look for alternatives that do not use button batteries. Products powered by other types of batteries are less likely to be swallowed by children and do not present the same degree of danger if they are. Rechargeable batteries do not need to be replaced.
Buy child resistant button battery products
If you do buy products that contain button batteries, look for ones with a child resistant battery compartment. This makes it difficult for children to access the battery.
- Check for a secure compartment and warning labels, even when shopping with a seller you trust.
- Avoid poor quality products. Poor quality products may release button batteries when dropped or broken.
- When you buy button batteries, make sure they come in child resistant packaging, for example, packaging that can only be opened with scissors.
It can be hard to check the battery compartment of a product when shopping online. If you need to purchase a product with a button battery online, make sure to check the compartment is secure when it is delivered.
Be wary of toys with button batteries
Many toys for young children contain button batteries.
- Be wary of toys that light up, make noise, or move. These toys may contain dangerous button batteries.
- Look for safety warning statements on the toys indicating they contain button batteries.
- Check that the toys have secure battery compartments that can’t be accessed by children.
There is a mandatory standard for toys for children up to and including 36 months of age. This includes requirements for secure battery compartments on toys that contain button batteries.
Second-hand products need extra checks
If you use, buy or borrow second-hand products, make sure:
- to check if it contains button batteries
- the product hasn’t been recalled
- it includes the instructions for safe assembly and use
- all of its parts are in good working order.
Watch our video on button battery safety
Button batteries are lurking everywhere in your home - remote controls, kitchen scales, birthday cards, children's toys, hearing aids and countless other products.
Knowing the big danger this little battery poses means you can take steps to protect your family.
Video transcript
VISION: A single button battery sitting on a table. A number of devices powered by button batteries fall in the background.
NARRATOR: This is a button battery. They're lurking everywhere in your home. They might not look like much, but in the wrong hands and mouths, they're child killers.
VISION: A button battery sits on an x-ray. The button battery begins to smoke, and leaves a burning hole in the x-ray.
NARRATOR: Once swallowed, they can get stuck, and the chemical reaction can burn little ones like me from the inside. Within 2 hours, severe damage can be done. It can take countless operations to heal the wounds, and months more to eat normally again. For others, it's fatal. A house isn't safe until button batteries are out of reach of children. Secure them, store them, and dispose of them carefully. Tell grandparents and carers to do the same. And if you think your child has swallowed one, seek immediate medical attention. Make sure your little ones are safe from button batteries.
TEXT: Tiny batteries, BIG DANGER
NARRATOR: Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.
How to use the product safely
Check and secure button batteries
- Check the compartment that houses the button battery is child resistant. This stops the product from releasing the battery, making it difficult for young children to access the battery.
- Regularly check that products and toys with button batteries are not damaged or broken. The button battery inside can come loose if the product is damaged, or if the button battery compartment does not close securely. Stop using the product and keep it away from children.
- Never give children under 3 years of age toys or household products with unsecured small parts or small objects, such as magnets, coins, batteries and screws.
Store button batteries out of reach of children
- Store new and used button batteries out of sight and out of reach of young children at all times. Lock boxes, secure cupboards or high spaces are ideal.
- Check that replacement button batteries are contained in child resistant packaging.
- Place replacement batteries in a child resistant container after opening.
Safely replace and dispose of button batteries immediately
- As soon as you’ve finished using a button battery, put sticky tape around both sides. You can make a row of multiple batteries surrounded with sticky tape. This makes it harder for children to swallow the button battery and reduces the risk of the battery catching fire.
- Safely put them in a child resistant container. Make sure they are out of reach of children. You can recycle them at your nearest drop off point.
- Change button batteries on a flat surface and away from children. This prevents them rolling into places children can reach.
How to know if a child has swallowed a button battery
Children are often unable to let you know that they have swallowed or inserted a button battery.
If you suspect a child has swallowed or inserted a button battery, ask for an X-ray from a hospital emergency department.
If the child displays symptoms, they may include:
- gagging or choking
- drooling
- chest pain - presents as grunting
- coughing or noisy breathing
- unexplained vomiting or food refusal
- bleeding from the gut - black or red vomit or bowel motions
- nose bleeds - sometimes this can be blood vomited through the nose
- unexplained fever
- abdominal pain
- general discomfort
- spitting blood or blood-stained saliva
- bloody discharge from ear or nose.
Watch the video on safe disposal of button batteries
Old or spent button batteries can still pose a safety risk. Follow this simple safety tip to help prevent severe injury.
Video transcript
VISION: A man stands against a white background, holding a button battery in hand.
PRESENTER: Old or dead button batteries can still pose a severe injury risk, particularly in young children who put everything in their mouths, ugh.
VISION: A close-up shot of a number of different-sized batteries stuck to a strip of sticky tape. The tape is folded over on itself, creating a seal.
PRESENTER: If you stick the batteries on sticky tape in a row like so, it makes it much harder for kids to swallow.
TEXT: Seal batteries between 2 pieces of sticky tape for fire prevention and child safety
PRESENTER: Unless they can dislocate their jaw like a snake, and that's... that's just gross.
TEXT: For more information on battery safety and to find your nearest B-cycle Drop-off point go to bcycle.com.au