SINGAPORE – A 26-day-old baby girl found unresponsive at around 11am on March 5 was pronounced dead at Changi General Hospital (CGH) about 90 minutes later.

Nur Shaynda Mohamed Yatiman’s cause of death could not be ascertained after an investigation, and police do not suspect foul play.

In his findings dated Aug 22, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda recorded an open verdict on the case and said: “Factually, Ms Shaynda had been found unconscious in the baby cot with no evidence of being pinned under any objects.

“There was also no evidence to suggest that her face was in the prone position that might have resulted in suffocation.”

A doctor concluded that in view of factors such as the lack of injuries, the baby’s cause of death was unascertained, with a higher likelihood of it being due to a sudden cardiac death.

Court documents referred to Shaynda’s father as Mr MY. At the time, he was the boyfriend of the baby’s mother, identified as Ms SS.

Shaynda was not the woman’s first child who died while still a baby. In 2012, Ms SS delivered another child at 34 weeks via emergency caesarean section because of pulmonary embolism, which usually happens when a blood clot gets stuck in the lungs and blocks the blood flow.

This baby died at four months. Court documents did not disclose the identity of the child’s father.

On Feb 7, 2023, Ms SS delivered Shaynda, who weighed nearly 2.5kg and was assessed to be small for her gestational age.

Mr MY told investigators he was Shaynda’s sole caregiver from her discharge from hospital until her death as he wanted Ms SS to rest and recover.

State Coroner Nakhoda said in his findings: “Mr MY stated that he had no experience taking care of an infant, though he had helped with his niece and nephew.

“Similarly, Ms SS said that she had no experience caring for an infant. Before Ms Shaynda’s death, Ms SS had helped out with her care occasionally.”

At around 4am on March 5, Mr MY heard the baby crying and fed her some milk, but she continued to cry. She stopped after she was given a pacifier. He then placed her in the cot on her stomach with her head facing left.

According to him, she could sleep better and for a longer period when placed on her stomach.

Mr MY, who was then feeling unwell, left the bedroom and lay down on a sofa bed in the living room with Ms SS.

He woke up some time after daybreak and realised that the baby was very quiet, which was unusual.

Worried, he went to the bedroom, where he saw her lying in the cot in what he thought was the same position he had placed her in.

He noticed that her swaddle was loose and the pacifier had come out of her mouth. He quickly lifted her up and, though she was not responsive, he heard and felt that she was still breathing.

Panicking, he told Ms SS to prepare some milk to see if she would respond to being fed. When she did not, he told Ms SS to call for an ambulance.

After receiving directions from a Singapore Civil Defence Force operator, he performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the baby.

Sergeant Nur Liyana Rahmat and her ambulance crew arrived at the couple’s home at around 11.40am and took over the CPR.

She noted that the baby’s lips were blue and that the baby appeared to have difficulty breathing. Sgt Nur was also unable to detect the child’s pulse.

She confirmed that when she first held Shayna, the baby’s body was still warm to the touch.

The infant was rushed to CGH and was pronounced dead shortly before 12.40pm.