Key takeaways: Button batteries and high-powered magnets are emergencies; go to the ER right away. If your baby is choking and can’t breathe, cry, or cough, start infant choking first aid and call 911. For possible poisoning, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Many small, smooth objects pass on their own, but call your doctor for guidance.
Babies explore with their mouths. Knowing what to do if they swallow something can save precious time.
If Your Baby Is Choking
Signs: can’t breathe, cough, or cry; turning blue; weak or no sounds.
- Call 911 (or have someone call).
- Give 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts for babies under 1, repeating until the object comes out or your baby becomes unresponsive.
- Start CPR if your baby becomes unresponsive.
Take an infant CPR class to learn these skills.
Button Batteries: An Emergency
Button batteries can burn through the esophagus in as little as 2 hours.
- Go to the emergency room right away, even if your baby seems fine.
- Don’t make your baby vomit.
- Poison Control guidance on giving honey on the way to the ER applies only to children 1 year and older who swallowed a battery within the last 12 hours. Don’t give honey to babies under 1. Call Poison Control for instructions.
Magnets
Swallowing more than one high-powered magnet, or a magnet plus a metal object, can pull bowel walls together and cause serious damage. Go to the ER.
Other Objects
- Small, smooth objects like coins often pass on their own, but coins can get stuck in the esophagus. Call your doctor.
- Sharp objects need medical care right away.
Go to the ER if your baby: drools, has trouble swallowing, vomits, has chest or belly pain, refuses to eat, or breathes noisily.
Poisons
- Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (U.S.) for possible poisoning from medicines, cleaning products, plants, or other substances. It’s free and available 24/7.
- Don’t make your baby vomit.
- Have the container ready.
- Call 911 if your baby is unresponsive, having a seizure, or having trouble breathing.
Prevention
- Keep button batteries, magnets, coins, and small objects out of reach.
- Check that battery compartments are secured with screws.
- Store medicines and cleaners up high and locked.
- Get down on the floor to look for hazards at your baby’s level.
- Use the toilet paper tube test: anything that fits inside is a choking hazard.
The Bottom Line
Button batteries and magnets are emergencies. Learn infant choking first aid, keep Poison Control’s number handy, and childproof at your baby’s level.
Want more support for your baby’s first year? My book, From First Breath to First Birthday, is available on Amazon.
Sources
- National Capital Poison Center. Button battery ingestion triage and treatment guideline. https://www.poison.org/battery
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Swallowed objects; choking prevention. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Button batteries; high-powered magnets. https://www.cpsc.gov
- American Red Cross. Infant choking and CPR. https://www.redcross.org
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always talk with your baby’s health care provider or your own provider about your specific situation. If you think your baby or you may have a medical emergency, call 911.
