Urgent & emergency

Child Swallowed Something? Call Poison Control Now.

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Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 — free, confidential, and available 24/7 in the United States. Call 911 first if your child is unconscious, not breathing, seizing, or has collapsed. Button batteries are always an ER emergency regardless of symptoms. Do not make your child vomit unless Poison Control tells you to.

Last updated: July 2026History

If this is happening now

Call 911 if your child is unconscious, seizing, not breathing, or limp. Call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) for all other ingestion questions. You can call both at the same time.

Care like this may require 911 or emergency services. Gale doesn't schedule appointments for emergencies — emergency care comes first; scheduled follow-up can wait until you're safe.

What number do I call and what should I have ready?

Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222 (United States) 1. Save it in your phone right now — it connects you with the poison center serving your area, available around the clock.

When you call, have this information ready: - The exact substance your child swallowed — bring the bottle, package, or plant to the phone - How much — your best estimate (for pills: how many were in the bottle before, how many remain) - Exactly when it happened - Your child's age and weight - Any symptoms your child has right now

Poison Control specialists are pharmacists, toxicologists, and nurses trained in poison emergencies and available 24/7/365. Interpreter services are available in 161 languages 1. Two-thirds of callers get the guidance they need over the phone without needing to visit a hospital or clinic. The specialists tell you whether home monitoring is safe, or whether urgent or emergency care is needed.

When should I call 911 instead of Poison Control?

Call 911 immediately — before or instead of Poison Control — if your child:

  • Is unconscious or cannot be woken
  • Is having a seizure
  • Is not breathing normally
  • Has collapsed or is limp
  • Is turning blue around the lips or fingernails
  • Has swallowed a button battery or multiple magnets — these are surgical emergencies requiring the ER immediately, regardless of how your child looks 3

You can call both: call 911 for the ambulance, then call Poison Control from a second phone while you wait. Bystander life support may be needed while waiting — follow 911 dispatcher guidance 2.

Why is a button battery a special emergency?

A button (disc) battery lodged in the esophagus causes a chemical burn through electrolytic activity — it generates hydroxide at the battery's negative pole, producing alkali tissue damage within hours. Perforations and fistulas can develop even before symptoms appear, and children can seem completely well while serious injury is occurring 3.

Children under 5 years and batteries 20 mm or larger (about the size of a large watch battery) carry the highest risk. Guidelines recommend endoscopic removal within 2 hours when the battery is in the esophagus 3. Go to the ER immediately if button battery ingestion is confirmed or even suspected. Do not wait for symptoms.

What should I NOT do?

  • Do not make your child vomit unless Poison Control specifically instructs it. Inducing vomiting can cause more harm with caustics, petroleum products, or sharp objects, by re-exposing the esophagus to a damaging substance on the way back up.
  • Do not give milk, water, or food to dilute the substance unless Poison Control directs you to.
  • Do not give activated charcoal on your own — it is not appropriate for all ingestions and must be directed by a clinician.
  • Do not search the internet for a treatment protocol — call Poison Control 1, who will give guidance specific to the exact substance, your child's size, age, and timing of the ingestion.

What kinds of ingestions does Poison Control handle?

Poison Control handles any ingestion or exposure: prescription and over-the-counter medications, cleaning products, plants, vitamins, cosmetics, batteries, coins, cannabis products, and more 1. There is no call too small or too unusual — the specialists are trained for exactly this. Many calls result in safe home monitoring; others need urgent care. The specialists assess the difference based on the specific substance, the dose relative to the child's weight, and current symptoms.

Certain medications are particularly dangerous to young children even in small amounts — heart medications (calcium channel blockers, beta blockers), oral diabetes medications, opioids, iron supplements, sleep aids, and some antidepressants. A toddler's smaller body mass means a dose safe for an adult can cause serious harm. Never assume a small amount is safe without consulting Poison Control 1.

Common questions

Yes. Some medications are dangerous to young children even in very small amounts. Poison Control will assess whether the specific substance and quantity pose a risk. They prefer early calls over delayed ones.

Call Poison Control anyway and describe what you can see — any open containers, what room they were in, what they may have had access to. The specialists are experienced at working with incomplete information.

Go to the emergency room immediately. Do not wait for symptoms. Button batteries cause chemical burns in the esophagus within hours and this is always a surgical emergency regardless of how your child appears.

Bring the container, bottle, or packaging of whatever was swallowed. Also note your best estimate of how much was ingested, the time it happened, and any symptoms that appeared afterward.

Related

Call 911 or Poison Control now

  • —Unconscious or cannot be woken up
  • —Seizure
  • —Not breathing or breathing strangely
  • —Lips or fingernails turning blue
  • —Collapsed or limp
  • —Swallowed a button battery — ER immediately regardless of symptoms
  • —Swallowed multiple magnets — ER immediately
  • —Swallowed a sharp object that may be lodged
  • —Burning or blistering around the mouth after swallowing a caustic substance

Call 911 if your child is unconscious, seizing, not breathing, or limp. Call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) for all other ingestion questions. You can call both at the same time.

This article is general health information only. If your child has swallowed something, call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) or 911 immediately — do not rely on reading alone.

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References

  1. 1.America's Poison Centers (2024). About America's Poison Centers — 1-800-222-1222. America's Poison Centers (poisoncenters.org). link ✓1-800-222-1222 as the national US Poison Control number, free and available 24/7/365 with interpreter services in 161 languages; two-thirds of callers get help over the phone without needing a hospital
  2. 2.Joyner BL Jr, et al. (2025). Part 6: Pediatric Basic Life Support: 2025 American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001370 ✓Bystander life support guidance while waiting for 911 in pediatric emergencies including ingestion with loss of consciousness or respiratory arrest
  3. 3.Tringali A, Thomson M, Dumonceau JM, et al. (ESPGHAN/NASPGHAN) (2021). Pediatric Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition and European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Guidelines. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. doi:10.1097/MPG.0000000000003050 ✓Button battery ingestion as a surgical emergency requiring immediate endoscopic removal (preferably within 2 hours); esophageal impaction causes alkali chemical burns; children under 5 and batteries ≥20 mm are at highest risk

3 sources, numbered by first appearance. General health information, not medical advice. AI-assisted editorial content — every citation independently verified. Editorial policy

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