2Y/O Boy Vomited Blood From Toothbrush Stuck in His Throat; Maid Who Left Him Unattended Jailed

By
Megan
-

On Tuesday (9 Mar), a foreign domestic worker was sentenced to eight weeks’ jail for causing hurt to her employer’s two-year-old son by negligence. 

Chi Nar Paw Tan, a 24-year-old Myanmar national, had left the boy unattended while he was brushing his teeth. His toothbrush then got stuck in his throat and he vomited blood as a result. 

2Y/O Boy Vomited Blood From Toothbrush Stuck in His Throat; Maid Who Left Him Unattended Jailed

On 27 Dec 2020, Chi Nar Paw Tan was at home with her 31-year-old employer, the boy, as well as his two older siblings. 

Her employer told her to give the boy a shower in the master bedroom toilet at around 4:00pm. After she had removed his clothes and realised that his diaper was soiled, she rinsed his body before proceeding to turn off the water and brush his teeth. 

She began brushing his teeth with his child-sized toothbrush (around 15cm in length) while simultaneously washing him with soap. 

She then turned away from him in search of the showerhead, leaving him unattended with the toothbrush still in his mouth. 

As you can probably imagine, that was when things went downhill.

She heard the boy shout from behind her and turned around to find the non-bristle end of the toothbrush sticking out of his mouth. 

The boy was crying and choking on the toothbrush, and soon he threw up blood onto the toilet floor. She attempted to use a towel to wipe the blood from his mouth.

The boy’s mother heard noises coming from the toilet and went in to check on her son. She asked Chi Nar Paw Tan what happened to him and she replied saying that the blood had come from his teeth.

However, upon further questioning from her employer, she pointed out the toothbrush to her. 

Boy Sustained Internal Throat Injuries 

The boy was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH)’s emergency department in an ambulance. As the medical personnel at the hospital did not have the required equipment, they did not attempt to remove the toothbrush.

The boy underwent a chest X-ray which showed that the toothbrush was stuck midway through his oesophagus. He was then taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) for treatment.

He threw up once more while waiting for an operating theatre to be available.

Eventually, the toothbrush was removed from his throat using a pair of strong forceps. 

According to a medical report from KKH, the boy had sustained abrasions along the back wall of his throat and oesophagus that lasted around till 15cm from his upper front teeth. 

The boy was hospitalised for a few days and was eventually discharged on 31 Dec. 

Alleged That Her Employer’s Children Used to Beat Her

Chi Nar Paw Tan said in mitigation that her employer’s children used to hit her. She also mentioned that when she reported this to her employer, he would give her an additional $10 to just accept the beatings. 

She did not have a lawyer.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Andre Ong pointed out that this was the first time that the prosecution had been alerted to this, as Chi Nar Paw Tan had told the police that the family had never abused or mistreated her, and that they had been good to her. 

DPP Ong said that she could file a police report if she wished, but she told the judge that she would not and that she simply wanted to return to Myanmar. 

Her charge was reduced by the prosecution from causing hurt to the victim by a rash act to causing hurt by a negligent act. She pleaded guilty to the charge and has been sentenced to eight weeks’ jail. 

She could have been imprisoned for up to six months or fined up to $2,500, or both, for her offence.

Feature image: Africa Studio / Shutterstock.com

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Megan
Email: [email protected]