Police Conducting Further Investigations Into Death Of Eight-month-old Baby

ARAU, April 28 (Bernama) -- Police are conducting further investigations into the death of an eight-month-old baby girl on April 22 after she was believed to have been found weak and unresponsive while under the care of a female babysitter at Taman Seri Wang here on April 15.

Arau District Police chief Supt Ahmad Mohsin Md Rodi said the infant died while receiving treatment at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB) in Alor Setar, Kedah, at 3.08 pm after being referred from the Tuanku Fauziah Hospital (HTF) in Kangar.

He said the baby was believed to have been in a weak and unresponsive condition while at the home of the 35-year-old babysitter before the woman contacted the infant’s mother, a teacher, at 5.16 pm on April 15, and they took the baby to the Arau Health Clinic.

“The baby’s mother then rushed to the babysitter’s house and found her child in a convulsive state. She and the babysitter immediately took the child to the Emergency Unit of the Arau Health Clinic. Following an examination, the doctor referred the child to the Emergency Unit of HTF,” he said in a statement today.

He said a medical officer at HTF found that the victim had bruising on the left side of the forehead and had arrived at the hospital in a state of seizures, while a CT scan revealed swelling and bleeding in the brain before she was immediately referred to HSB for surgery.

“According to the victim’s mother, on April 15 at about 6.45 am, when she sent her child to the babysitter, the baby girl was in good health and condition,” he said.

Ahmad Mohsin said earlier, on April 7, the mother had allegedly noticed bruises on her daughter’s nose and forehead when she picked her up from the babysitter’s house at 5.30 pm, with the babysitter claiming that the baby had fallen and hit a television rack.

“Before the incident, the babysitter’s six-year-old child was believed to have been playing with the baby girl in the living room. The babysitter said her child had been holding the baby. According to the mother, after the incident, the baby was not taken to a clinic as she appeared to be in normal condition,” he said.

Following that, he said the babysitter was detained at 2.30 pm on April 16 before being released on police bail the same day until June 16, and that the case was being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.

Ahmad Mohsin said a post-mortem conducted on the baby’s body on April 23 found subdural haemorrhage in all parts of the dura of the brain, especially on the left side, and injuries caused by blunt force trauma to the head.

“Examination of the neck, chest and abdomen did not reveal injuries to other internal organs. Determining the age of the subdural haemorrhage can be done through a histopathology test, which will take several weeks,” he said.

Meanwhile, at a press conference here today, the victim’s mother, Aisyawati Isa, 34, and father, Mohamad Zaer Wafar Che Mat Zaidin, 34, expressed hope that the truth behind the death of their second child would be uncovered.

They have also submitted additional evidence to the police to assist in further investigations and engaged a lawyer for advice and further action.

-- BERNAMA