WHEN BABIES SLEEP WITH PARENTS.

Evening Star, Issue 14626, 24 July 1911, Page 8

WHEN BABIES SLEEP WITH PARENTS.

ANOTHER DEATH. In s]):te of the warnings of doctors and iitiiT-es. and the public warnings erivon by coroners after the distressing oases with which tJiey hav<f to deal, there hj; re;Ason to believe that ' the practice of taking infants into bed with their parents is still commonly followed. An infajit 10 weeks old died in convulsions at South Dmiedin some time between 10 p.m. on Friday and 6 a.m. on Saturday, the cause of the convulsions being probiibly congestion, induced by overlying.

The mother, Susan Jane. Stokes, living in Xolson street, South Dunediu, deposed at the inquest this morning that the child was taken beside her into bed at 10 p.m. and fed. When she woke, at 6 o'clock next morning the infant was lying clear of her, and dead. Di- Howard, who was colled in, .stated that he found the lungs congestrd or gorged, a. similar state, on the right, side of Che hoarl and the abdominal veins, and the pprging had extended to the brain, bringing on convulsion?. In answer to a question by Station-sergeant King whether there was any appearanco of the child being oveTlain, the doctor said that the symptoms pointed Hint way. In rinding that the child died in a Jit of convulsions, caused by )>eing overlain in tho night. Mr C. C. Graham commented upon the danger of tlie practice of taking infant*- into bed with parents. He said that at. Home there wa? talk of making it % criminal offence, because it led to so imnv death;;.