DEATH OF BABY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 51, Issue 3113, 1 May 1942, Page 5

DEATH OF BABY

MILK IN WINDPIPE

MAORI CHILD SUFFOCATED

INQUEST HELD AT PAEROA

That death was due to partially digested milk being regurgitated or vomited, a small quantity beingsucked down the windpipe causing suffocation, was the cause of death of a three-weeks-old Maori baby, the daughter of Fred and Tangihaere Gage, of Te Moananui Flats. The inquest was held in the Paeroa Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon, the coroner, Mr G. Hedge, Te Aroha, presiding. The father, Fred Gage, stated that he qnd his wife had visited a neighbour’s home on Monday morning so that the mother could do some washing for herself, the neighbour having running water. They took the baby with them and when they rea.ched the neighbour’s house the mother fed the baby, and then laid it asleep on a bed Mrs- Gage then went outside to do the washing, coming in to look at the baby half-an-hour later and found it dead.

The mother picked up the child when she entered the house and called for her husband who shook the child in an endeavour to bring it back to life but with no avail.

The baby which was only born on April 1 had been well throughout its life and had. not ailed at all.

Dr. F. L. Clark said he had examined the body of the child which he had found to be well-nourished. The stomach contained about one ‘ounce of partially-digested milk and this milk was clotted. The trachea or wind-pipe contained similarlydigested milk. There was no disease of any of the organs l . He stated that in his opinion death was due to asphyxia. Partiallydigested milk apparently was regurgitated or vomited and a small quantity was sucked down the windpipe, suffocating the baby. A verdict in line with the doctor’s evidence was entered, the coroner expressing sympathy with the parents.