A one-year-old Queensland baby is in an induced coma after swallowing a button battery that burnt a seven-centimetre hole in her throat.
The baby, Amity Buchanan, had to be airlifted to hospital where she underwent emergency surgery in an effort to remove the battery - which she swallowed more than 30 hours before.
The ordeal has enraged the baby's father, Daniel Buchanan, who says hospital staff failed to uncover the battery during a previous hospital visit, 9News reports.
Amity was rushed to Mackay Base Hospital hospital on Monday after becoming unwell.
During the ride to the hospital, Daniel told 9News that paramedics suspected she swallowed something, as she was frequently vomiting.
Upon arrival, the hospital was very busy. The baby was seen by a doctor, who checked her airways, reportedly saying she was "fine" to go.
However, the baby continued to get worse after they got home.
"From 4pm that day to 11.30am the following day, Amity continuously vomited and couldn't keep any fluids or solids down," Daniel told 9News.
"You could hear it hurting her."
Daniel took Amity to the GP, where he requested an X-ray - which revealed the battery was lodged in her throat.
She was airlifted to Townsville Hospital, where she underwent a two-hour surgery to try and remove the battery.
During the surgery, doctors found the battery had burnt a seven-centimetre hole through her throat.
Daniel insists his daughter would be okay if they had X-rayed the baby during her first hospital visit.
"We were at the hospital within two hours, but she ended up having it lodged in her throat for around 30 hours."
Amity is currently unconscious in an intensive care unit at Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane.
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