Babies shouldn't be placed face down in a cot: S'pore coroner on 2-month-old baby's death

The prone sleeping position of a two-month-old baby, who was found dead in a Bukit Batok flat on Dec. 3, 2022, may have contributed to her death, a coroner's inquiry concluded on Nov. 15.

However, the coroner delivered an open verdict, citing that the exact cause of death could not be ascertained, The Straits Times (ST) reported.

The inquiry found no evidence of foul play or intent to harm the infant on the part of her parents.

The coroner also stated that there were no signs of neglect or ill-treatment.

The baby’s father, Mustaqim Rosli, had initially been charged with causing her death by suffocating her with a pillow.

However, in November 2023, he was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal during a pre-trial conference.

What happened

At the time of the incident, the couple lived with the baby and their two older sons in a one-room rental flat at Bukit Batok West Avenue 9.

On that fateful day, the couple found the baby with her lips blue and her skin cold to the touch and called the paramedics.

However, the baby was pronounced dead on the scene.

Later, the parents gave conflicting accounts of what happened prior to her death.

Mother's version of event

The baby’s mother initially accused Mustaqim of causing their daughter’s death by suffocating her with a bolster but later retracted her claim.

The coroner noted that she made the allegation out of "a sense of loss and worry" for her family.

According to the mother, Mustaqim woke up to the baby crying and placed her in a "prone position" (chest down) in her cot.

She argued with him and repositioned the baby on her back, but Mustaqim returned her to the prone position.

When the baby stopped crying, the mother checked that she was breathing before going to sleep.

She later woke up to the noise of her older children and found the baby face down, with blue lips and face.

She called for Mustaqim, who tried to revive the baby by patting her and calling out to her.

Father's version of events

Mustaqim offered a different version of events.

He said he had placed the baby on her belly because she seemed tired of lying face up.

After patting her back to burp her, he told his wife to ensure she was breathing before going back to bed.

When he woke to the sound of his sons playing, he noticed the baby’s pale face.

Possibility of asphyxiation "very real": Coroner

Re-enactment photos showed that when Mustaqim placed the baby in the prone position, her forehead rested on a small pillow, leaving space between her nose, mouth, and the cot surface, the coroner noted.

At that time, the mother had also noted that the baby was breathing.

However, the coroner highlighted that the possibility of asphyxiation due to the baby’s movements potentially pressing her nose against the mattress was "very real".

“Unless there are medical reasons, infants at this age should not be placed in a prone position to sleep,” he said, adding that they should be placed on their backs instead.

Baby remembered as happy and smiling

Speaking to ST, the baby’s grandfather remembered her as a “happy baby who was always smiling.”

As the family’s first granddaughter among eight grandchildren, her arrival had brought immense joy.

“I really miss her, and my heart really hurts. I still remember carrying her in my arms when she was born.”

After the verdict, he expressed relief at being able to bring closure to this chapter nearly two years after her passing.

“I will still visit her grave every month and think about her. Sometimes, I even look at her photos and cry. But I know one day, we’ll see each other again,” he said.

Top photo from Canva