Cot deaths

Press, 10 February 1989, Page 8

Cot deaths

Sir,—The tragic plight of Ms Jennifer Margaret Burton, in the cot death of her 9 weeks old baby (February 3) places society at the moral crossroads. How can a society which reportedly spends S22M a week on approved gambling renege on its responsibility to raise $400,000 for a researcher into cot deaths in Canterbury? Surely this moral dilemma is a result of the funridden and money-crazed society which we have largely inherited from a synthetic American culture. It seems beyond adult thinking to understand that the introduction of more gambling into society will exacerbate the intoxicant effect it has on people’s minds. Without a doubt gambling is now a disease in New Zealand. The introduction of casinos will further deflect people’s minds and wills from vital moral issues such as the one facing the Cot Death Fellowship Appeal. Ms Burton’s words are more than apposite: “Why is the Government planning to spend millions of dollars on stupid casinos while all these children are dying?”—Yours, etc. GREGORY SMITH. February 3,1989. Sir,—On reading of the death of Brooke Burton and of her mother’s feelings I felt compelled to write expressing my anger also at complacency by Government and other officials at not even underwriting a loan so that this cot death research can be started in New Zealand.

My heart goes out to Brooke’s parents and the hundreds of other parents who have lost their babies with still no explanation or chance to find an explanation. Too many so-called knowledgeable people put these babies down as sickly, undernourished, or unhappy babies. This is complete nonsense in most cases and only adds to parents’ feelings of guilt. Our beautifully healthy daughter died nearly 13 years ago and, as far as I know, nothing has been done in Canterbury to find any answers. Four babies have been “cot deaths” in Cust in the last 13 years. That is four too many. We Cantabrians must put our dollars together and give a researcher a chance to find a solution.—Yours, etc., SUE GILLESPIE. February 3, 1989. .