Six days after entering a Melaka nursery, four-month-old Yusof Al-Baihakki Zainal Abidin died after choking on milk.
Working from a nursery at the Al-Azim Mosque Complex, his babysitter reported that she had last fed the baby boy at 8:30am, with milk that had been provided by his mother. She then put him to sleep, only to discover that when she checked on him hours later, he was dead.
Baby Yusof was taken by his babysitter to Melaka Hospital at 12:05pm, and confirmed dead by doctors 30 minutes later. The minder contacted the baby’s mother to inform her that she was taking the child to the hospital.
Speaking to Bernama, the child’s father says that he was informed of the tragic turning of events by his wife. A police officer at Central Melaka district headquarters, he sent Yusof to the childcare center at 7am, and then headed to work.
Previously, his baby had been under the care of his mother-in-law in Kota Baru.
While initial reports do not indicate any bruising or injuries on Yusof’s body, investigators are still waiting for a postmortem report to conclude the case.
Two recent cases of infant deaths under minder care have made national headlines, after it was discovered that neither were registered caregivers, and were looking after children to supplement their incomes.
In a space of three weeks, two babies died while under the care of their babysitters. Both were unregistered child minders who take care of children to supplement their income.
On July 3 when a 33-year-old woman was arrested after a five-month-old she was minding went missing. Police then found the baby in her home freezer near Batu Caves.
Post-mortem investigations revealed that five-month Adam Rayqal Mohd Sufi Naeif had died of brain hemorrhage and fracture of the skull.
Two weeks later, ten-month-old Naufal Amsyar died in Muar after falling out of the crib at the babysitter’s house. Police detained the 35-year-old babysitter to assist in investigations.
