Singapore — A case of unnatural death at Block 158D Rivervale Crescent was reported after a six-month-old baby boy stopped breathing while under his babysitter’s care.
The child’s father, Mr Yong Zhen Cheng, 30, said that his son had always been a healthy boy, meeting his developmental milestones.
“The night before, my son’s appetite was still good,” said the boy’s mother, Ms Du Jing Lei, 30, to Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News on Monday (Jan 3).
“When I took my baby to the nanny’s home, he was still very happy,” said Ms Du.
However, the couple received a call from the babysitter on Dec 28 saying their son had stopped breathing and was being rushed to the hospital.
The police confirmed that the child was conveyed to Sengkang General Hospital while unconscious and later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Investigations are ongoing.
Reports noted that the nanny, known as Madam Liu, never expected such a situation to occur.
The couple had hired her from an online website, given her more than 10 years of experience in early childhood education.
Shin Min Daily News highlighted that the couple, both Malaysians, acquired Mdm Liu’s services for S$900 a month, which was what they could afford based on their estimated S$4,000 monthly income.
They did not have the means to send their child to a childcare centre, which costs S$2,000 a month.
Mdm Liu also had two other children, a nine-month-old and one-year-old, under her care.
The six-month-old baby had fallen asleep in his playpen near the living room at about 3 pm on Dec 28.
When she was about to bathe the child at around 6 pm, Mdm Liu discovered that his face had turned purple.
There were no pillows, blankets or other items that could have suffocated the baby.
She called the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for assistance after trying to wake the baby to no avail.
“I followed the instructions (of paramedics) to press against his chest and gently massage his back until SCDF could arrive at the scene. But it was useless,” said Mdm Liu in a Straits Times report.
“We just want to know what happened. We have lost our only child. He was so cute and healthy. He had absolutely no health conditions,” said Mr Yong to ST.
On Monday night, Mdm Liu had called his sister to apologise as the couple were unreachable while collecting their son’s ashes. /TISG
Read related: 2 teen girls found dead at foot of Toa Payoh HDB block
Follow Google News
Join us on WhatsApp
Follow us on Telegram