Coins, beads and small smooth pieces usually cross the gut within days without harm. The story flips completely with button batteries and multiple magnets — these are immediate emergencies even if the child looks perfectly fine.

In short — what to do

  1. Stay calm and assess: breathing, talking and swallowing normally? It's most likely in the stomach.
  2. See a doctor today to judge the need for an X-ray — coins stuck in the oesophagus must come out promptly.
  3. Watch the stools for days to confirm passage, and watch for any new symptoms.
  4. Never induce vomiting, and don't force bread and water to "push it down".

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A coin usually passes safely — batteries and magnets are immediate emergencies
A coin usually passes safely — batteries and magnets are immediate emergencies
The full details

The two immediate emergencies

  • A button battery: chemically burns the oesophagus within two hours — ER immediately, zero waiting (full details in the button-battery guide).
  • Two or more magnets (or magnet + metal): attract across bowel walls and perforate them — ER immediately.
  • A sharp object (pin, glass, bone): ER, with no removal attempts.

Swallowed something small and smooth (coin, bead)?

  1. Stay calm and assess: breathing, talking and swallowing normally? It's most likely in the stomach.
  2. See a doctor today to judge the need for an X-ray — coins stuck in the oesophagus must come out promptly.
  3. Watch the stools for days to confirm passage, and watch for any new symptoms.
  4. Never induce vomiting, and don't force bread and water to "push it down".

ER immediately if

  • Sudden cough with breathing difficulty or wheeze — it may be in the airway, not the gullet (see the choking guide).
  • Constant drooling and inability to swallow, or chest/neck pain — an object stuck in the oesophagus.
  • Abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, or blood days later — may mean blockage or perforation.

Prevention

Get down to your child's eye level and crawl through your home once — you'll see the world they see: anything that fits through a toilet-paper tube can be swallowed. That's the classic toy-safety test.

This content is for general health education only and is not medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. In an emergency, call 998.

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