The availability of potentially deadly button batteries should be better regulated by governments and manufacturers, a former coroner says.

It follows the case of a one-year-old girl who swallowed a button battery last week.

Amity had emergency surgery to remove it at Townsville and was in an induced coma while recovering.

The battery had burned a seven-centimetre hole in her throat.

Former coroner John Hutton says more needs to be done after years of inaction.

“These things are very shiny, so they pick them up, why not change the colour make them dull brown or black?

“Secondly, taste, we can put something on the button battery that would make the child spit it out and scream.”

Press PLAY below to hear more about what he says needs to be done