16 May Button Batteries: the tiny household danger parents still need to check for

Button batteries: the tiny household danger parents still need to check for

CHOICE Magazine and Alison and Andrea’s moving Australian Story episode on the ABC helped warn Australian families about the dangers of small button batteries. Sadly, the issue has not gone away.

Button batteries are still found in many everyday household items, and they remain a serious risk for babies and young children. Product Safety Australia estimates that around 20 children a week present to emergency departments in Australia after suspected swallowing or insertion of a button battery. Three children in Australia have died after swallowing one.

Australia’s mandatory button and coin battery safety laws came into effect in June 2022. These laws require products containing button or coin batteries to have secure battery compartments, child-resistant packaging where required, and clear safety warnings. The standards apply not only to button batteries themselves, but also to consumer goods and accessories that use them.

But recent testing shows parents still need to be alert, especially when buying cheap toys or gadgets online. In late 2025, CHOICE tested 24 children’s toys bought from online marketplaces including Shein, AliExpress, eBay and Amazon. Seventeen failed to meet Australia’s mandatory button battery safety standards.

In May 2026, the ACCC also began Federal Court proceedings against Amazon AU over children’s unicorn backpacks with light-up toys, alleging missing button battery warning labels. The ACCC said it was the first Federal Court case it had brought against an online marketplace alleging non-compliance with mandatory product safety standards.

The danger is that button batteries are small, shiny and easy for a young child to swallow or place in their nose or ear. In some of the tragic cases reported in Australia, parents did not know their child had swallowed a battery. Once lodged in the body, a button battery can create an electrical current and cause severe burns in as little as two hours. Symptoms can be vague, delayed or easy to mistake for something else.

Parents and carers should look at every battery-powered device in the home, especially items children can reach. Check that the battery compartment is secure and can only be opened with a tool, such as a screwdriver. If the product is damaged, loose, missing a screw, or has a battery compartment that opens easily, keep it away from children and dispose of it safely.

Items to check include watches, remote controls, thermometers, games, toys, hearing aids, calculators, bathroom scales, musical greeting cards, key fobs, electronic jewellery, cameras, flameless candles, light-up decorations, novelty items, flashing party products and some small tracking devices.

Be extra careful when visiting grandparents, friends or holiday homes, where older products may still be in use. Older remotes, cards, decorations and toys may not meet current standards.

There may be no obvious symptoms if a child has swallowed a button battery.

Possible signs include:

Fever
Irritability
Not wanting to eat or drink
Throat pain
Coughing, gagging or drooling
Vomiting
Chest or tummy pain

If a child has placed a battery in their nose or ear, symptoms may include:

Fever
Irritability
Fluid or discharge from the nose or ear
Pain, swelling or bleeding around the nose or ear

If you suspect a child has swallowed or inserted a button battery, act immediately. Do not wait for symptoms. Call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for urgent advice, or call 000 if the child is having trouble breathing, bleeding, choking or seriously unwell. Queensland Poisons Information Centre advises not to make the child vomit or give food or drink unless specifically advised; they may advise whether honey is appropriate in some cases.

Our need for smaller technology means button batteries are likely to remain in many homes. Awareness is still one of the best protections. Check your own home, check items bought online, and remind grandparents, friends and relatives to do the same.