FATE OF BABY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21807, 23 May 1934, Page 14

FATE OF BABY

BURNED BY HOT MILK TEAT PULLED OFF BOTTLE CASE OF MISADVENTURE "This is tho first case of its kind to come under my notice," said the coroner, Mr. F. i\. Hunt, S.M., at an inquest held yesterday concerning the death of a nine-months-old child, George William Banbury, who died in the Auckland Hospital on Sunday following burns received when lie pulled the teat off his bottle of hot milk. Dr. M. C. Moore, house surgeon at tho Auckland Hospital, said the child was admitted to hospital 011 May 17 suffering from burns in tho secondary degree, involving the left sido of tho face, neck and shoulder and chest. Tito usual treatment was given, but on Saturday, May ]9, tho child's condition became worse, and he died on Sunday. Tho cause of death was toxaemia, following burns, and bronchitis. Harriot May Rayner, of 24 Shirley Road, Papatoetoe, said she was tho foster-mother of the child, who was a ward of tho State. Slio had received him from tho Child Welfare Department 011 February 28. At 6.45 a.m. on May 17, witness said, slio gave tho child a bottle of milk. She had heated the milk in a container and put it in the bottle, with a rubber teat attached. "I tested tho milk with my finger before putting it in the bottle, and it appeared to be about the right heat," witness continued. "Deceased took the bottlo with bis two hands, with tho teat in his mouth, and commenced to suck. He always mod to feed himself from the bottle, and we did not have to hold him up to feed him. I looked at him almost immediately after giving him the bottlo mid noticed that tho teat was off. It was then in his mouth, having come off tho bottlo through his tugging at it. "Tho contents of tho bottlo were spilled over his head and shoulder. When I saw what had happened I took his clothing off and immediately sent for Nurse Watt and Dr. Valentine, and the child was takeu to the Auckland Hospital."

In reply to questions from Mr, Hunt witness said she had brought up two children of her own. She thought that if the teat had remained on the bottle the milk would not have been too hot by the time it cainc through the teat. The senior child welfare officer at Auckland, Jda Spiccr, gave evidence that tho child Jiad been committed to the Child Welfare Department in February. About ;i week later ho was boarded out with .Mr. and Mrs. Rayner. Tho child was visited regularly by Child Welfare Department officers. He was very well cared for by his fosterparents and was doing well. "I think I can come to no other conclusion except that it was a case of misadventure," said Mr. Hunt, in returning a verdict that death was due to ' toxaemia and bronchitis, following burns accidentally received.