CHILD'S SUDDEN DEATH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22633, 22 January 1937, Page 12

CHILD'S SUDDEN DEATH

DISTRESSING SEQUEL EVIDENCE AT INQUEST [BY TELEGRAPH—OWN CORRESPONDENT] TAUMA HUNUI, Thursday Distressing and unusual circumstances were revealed at an inquest held before .Mr. A. S. Laird, coroner, to-day, into tho death of Zona Florence Frescott, aged four years, who died at Taumarunui on December 5. This sudden death of the child caused her mother to have a serious breakdown in health. When the child's death occurred the mother rushed to a neighbour with the child in her arms, saying, "I killed Hubby." The child's head was slightly wet and drowning was suspected. The evidence of Dr. Welhy Fisher supported the report of Dr. W. Gilmour, pathologist, that there was no evidence of drowning nor of death from any form of violence. The enlarged thymus and increased lymphoid tissue showed the condition of status lymphations. which rendered the child liable to sudden death front slight causes. Jit the doctor's opinion death was due to shock caused bv a foreign body in the larynx, deceased being predisposed to sudden death.

A verdict was returned accordingly, the coroner attaching 110 importance to the mother's remark while unbalanced. There was evidence that the child had vomited and probably she had expired in her mother's arms and the shock had unsettled her. The coroner expressed the belief that the mother's action was in no way contributory to the child's death. The father of the child said her mother was extremely fond of her and would be distracted over her death.