A BABY SUFFOCATED

Evening Star, Issue 17312, 27 March 1920, Page 6

A BABY SUFFOCATED

ACCIDENTALLY OVERLAID IN BED. • WARNING BY CORONER AND DOCTOR. This morning, at the Hospital, Mr Bartholomew sat as District Coroner to inquire as to the cause of death of Bridget Ryan, the infant child of James Francis Ryan, railway guard, residing at' Chambers street, North-east' Valley. Sergeant M'Kenzie represented the police. The father deposed that the bahy was born on Monday morning. It was a healthy child. A St. Helens nurse attended at the birth, but had, left by Thursday, and the bahv slept with liiiii and his wife. When he went to bed at 9.45 he gave the wife a basin of gruel. The child was lying; on her arm, and seemed to be all right. He woke at about 2.10, when the mother was shifting the baby. He remarked that it was very quiet, he took its arm and found it a little cold. Examining closely, they saw the child was dead. One arm was stiff. He rang up St. Helens Hospital, and Dr Siedeberg 'arrived about 9.30. When he gave the message the child was dead. His wife had reared eight children without anything happening, and it was their practice to keep a baby in bed with them till it was a month old.

Dr Emily Siedeberg deposed that she was rung up at about 3 in the morning concerning the death of the baby. She inquired as to the details, and found that a St. Helens nurse was at the birth, and that the baby was found dead in the bed. The father said he was quite sure the baby was dead. Had there been any doubt about it witness would have gone at once. She called iu the morning. Before going she rang up the matron, and was told the nurso had, in the ordinary way, warned tho mother against keeping the child with her in bed. It was the usual precaution, but not always obeyed. "When witness saw tho baby it ha'd been dead some hours. There- was nothing to indicate abnormality, and there were no marks of injury." Witness could not pronounce a definite opinion as to tho cause, of death. Overlaying the child seemed to be the only possibility—that or heart _ failure. The appearances were consistent with asphyxia. The Coroner: Have you any definite view as to the practice of keeping babies in bed with the mothers P Dr Siedeberg: It is a very pernicious practice. I cannot see how a child can well survive the chance of being overlaid. The more the public are wanted against it the bettor. To lose a fine healthy babv like this seems a terrible state of affairs. Dr Drennan said that he made a post mortem examination yesterday afternoon. The body was well nourished and well developed, weight 71b 12oz. There was no obstruction in the upper air passages. The windpipe and bronchial tubes contained frothy fluid tinged with blood. Witness was of opinion that death was caused by asphyxia. There was no evidence as to how that might have been caused. Mr Bartholomew said liis verdict would be that the death was accidentally due to asphyxia. It was another case pointing to tho danger of a child sleeping in bed with its parents. It was satisfactory to know that tho'St. Helens nurses warned their patients against the practice. In the present case the mother, having reared eight children, would be likely to pay but little attention. A case of this sort would further call attention to the undesirability of the practice.