Warning: button batteries and young kids don't mix

CHICAGO, Ill. (WPVI) -- If you've got new electronics at your home this holiday, pediatricians have a few words of caution!

From singing cards to toys & games, and even remote controls, most have button batteries, which pose a serious danger to young children.

Curious infants and toddlers can get those tiny batteries out, and into their mouths in seconds.

And if they're swallowed, they can get caught in the throat or esophagus, causing permanent, or even fatal damage.

Poison control centers in the U.S. say thousands of kids swallow them every year.

And the number is rising, along with the number of items button batteries are in.

So keep anything with button batteries up & out of reach.

If you even suspect a child has swallowed one, contact a poison control center immediately.

Make sure your child doesn't eat or drink anything until you've taken them to a doctor.

For more information, see these pointers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.