Very interesting, M. Ted...

I confess that I haven't thought very much about the meaning of this rhyme. But I probably brushed this rhyme off as a made up story about a baby playing in the bathtub and the "died last night with a bubble in his throat" was an exaggeration because he ate some soap and it made soap bubbles.

But your explanation makes alot of sense.

Have the Opies or anyone else ever formally presented this explanation of Miss Susie/Lucy/Molly/Donna etc Had A Baby" rhymes
in any scholarly/researchy type folklore or children's rhyme journals, if there are such journals?

M.Ted, what are you waiting for? Go to it!