Baby in Sengkang Died With Face On Mattress; Shows the Importance of Safe Sleep

As parents will know, a newborn baby is completely dependent on us to survive.

This is why we can’t take our eyes off infants, even for a short period of time.

And if we happen to make just one mistake with the baby, it could turn out to be a very costly one indeed.

Two-month-old Baby Died With Face On Mattress

The death of a two-month-old baby boy who was found unresponsive on his mattress may be due to unsafe sleeping practices, said the coroner.

The coroner declared an open verdict, however, meaning the cause of death was not certain. Suffocation was not ruled out, according to CNA. 

At 7pm on 17 May last year, the family’s domestic helper in Sengkang had bottle-fed the baby milk before burping him and waiting for him to fall asleep.

Once the infant had fallen asleep, the helper placed him down in a prone position on the bed with his head turned to the right.

She then left the room.

For the next hour, the helper did the dishes and helped the family’s two daughters with their showers.

Then, she took a shower herself and did the laundry.

It was at this point that the helper wondered why the baby hadn’t cried for over an hour, so she went to check up on him.

When she picked him up, she discovered that he was not breathing and his face was pale.

The helper quickly called the baby’s mother and urged her to rush home as the baby was not breathing.

His father arrived home shortly after and found the helper crying with the baby, who was still unresponsive and had milk dripping from his nose.

They rushed the infant to the hospital, but it was too late.

Despite being administered emergency aid, the baby boy remained unresponsive and pulseless and was pronounced dead at 9.51pm.

Cause of Death Not Clear

Now, because the baby was in a prone position, most would assume that it died due to suffocation.

However, there are several problems with this theory.

Firstly, a forensic pathologist on the case said that sleeping in the prone position is actually not likely to cause death, unless it was co-sleeping.

If the baby was face down with his airways blocked, then it could lead to suffocation. However, in such instances,  injuries or abrasions around the nose and mouth would usually be found.

But none were found on this two-month-old baby.

Still, the coroner has no reason to suspect foul play.

Parents Believe Helper Was Neglectful

The parents, however, believe their helper was neglectful in taking care of their child.

During the coroner’s inquiry, they raised several concerns:

1. Why had the helper placed the baby on a mattress in his sisters’ bedroom instead of in his baby cot?
2. Why had the helper checked on the baby only once for an hour? Was she distracted by her phone?

In response, the helper explained that she placed the infant in his sisters’ bedroom because it was nearer to the kitchen and living room, where she could hear him if he cried.

As for the second concern, the helper said she did not use her phone at all in the hour she was away from the baby.

She added that she was not distracted at all during the incident, nor preoccupied with financial issues.

How to Keep Babies Safe While Sleeping

This incident might alarm some parents, and understandably so.

So, how do you ensure your baby is safe while they’re sleeping? Just keep this simple mnemonic device in mind: ABC – Alone, Back, Crib.

Alone – While you should sleep in the same room as your infant, you should not sleep in the same bed, couch, or chair.

This is because you may inadvertently roll onto your baby while they sleep.

Your baby’s head could also get stuck between the mattress and the wall, headboard, footboard, or they could fall off the bed.

Back – Always place your baby on its back when it’s sleeping. Healthy babies will naturally swallow or cough their spit up, so there’s no risk of choking.

If your baby is sleeping face down, there’s a greater risk of his nose and mouth being obstructed.

Crib – Try to keep your baby’s crib free of loose bedding, pillows, and toys because infants can suffocate on these items at any time.

Make sure the crib you purchase has been approved safe and has a firm mattress covered by a fitted sheet.

Caregivers should also be informed of these safety tips to ensure that their baby is sleeping safely.