Earlier this month, we were left in shock after the grim news of a five-month-old baby found dead and stuffed into the fridge in his babysitter’s house in Malaysia. Now, sad news of another baby death has emerged, this time after a fall at babysitter’s house, also in Malaysia.
RIP, little one. | Images: Facebook
Fall at Babysitter’s House Fractures Baby’s Skull
On Tuesday 17 July, 10-month-old Naufal Amsyar Bin Nabil Fikri is reported to have suffered a fit and collapsed while under his babysitter’s care.
He was rushed to hospital. There, doctors found injury marks on Naufal’s forehead, a blood clot in his eyes and a crack in his skull.
The baby – the only child of Nabil Fikri Anwar and wife Noraziqah Rahman – was under careful care for four days. However, sadly, the little one passed away on Saturday 21 July.
The baby reportedly died of brain haemorrhage, according to the post-mortem
Quoted by AsiaOne, Nabil initially thought their precious son would recover. However, “it was not meant to be,” he said.
The grieving dad also said he and his wife Noraziqah “accepted fate and that Naufal was no longer around.”
They also do not blame the 35-year-old babysitter for their child’s death. “I leave it to the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to identify the cause of death,” said Nabil.
Previously, Nabil mentioned the babysitter told him that Naufal collapsed after eating porridge prepared by his wife.
“The babysitter told me that my baby’s eyes were wide open and there was no reaction. Initially, she suspected that he had choked while eating. But it was only after he was admitted to the hospital that we were made aware that he sustained injuries after falling from the crib,” he said.
Nabil did not know the babysitter well. His wife reportedly asked on Facebook for recommendations before sending their son to the babysitter.
This is not the first time the baby fell at the babysitter’s house, according to reports. He had fallen twice from his cradle previously, at the same house.
A Mother’s Grief
Noraziqah posted a heartbreaking note about her baby boy’s passing on Facebook.
“I had carried him in my tummy for nine months and only managed to raise him for 10 months and five days. You were born here (in this hospital) and you also left me and your father forever at the same place,” she wrote.
Meanwhile, Nabil (who is an enforcement officer) has asked the public not to speculate until the investigation is over. The nanny reportedly, is assisting with investigations.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to the parents and family of little Naufal. May you rest in peace, and may your parents find peace, too.
Extra Caution Needed When Employing a Babysitter
All child care centres require a license to operate in Malaysia. But there are still those who offer babysitting services quietly on the side.
These places are cheaper because they usually hire workers who have minimal experience in caring for a baby. Their staff have no background or any training in early childhood education. In fact, some may not even know first aid at all.
Then you also have those who put the word out about babysitting services offered on social media. Again, their rates would probably be cheaper than registered carers.
But those cheaper rates might appeal to smaller young families who are just starting out. Finances might be tight with rent and other matters.
They might be desperate to find someone to care for their child while they earn a living. This could be the reason why some families end up choosing an unregistered and unregulated child care centre or babysitter.
Laws might be there, but if there are no regular checks and no proper enforcement, situations like this can happen again.
In Singapore, the government regulates all child care centres through the Child Care Centres Act (Cap. 37A) and Child Care Centres Regulations (Cap. 37A, Section 19).
All child care centres MUST be licensed and they must comply with standards set out in the Regulations made under the Act, or any other requirements that may be specified by the Director of Social Welfare.
But remember parents, despite laws being there to protect you, you still need to do your research and choose wisely. Also, if your child suffers from any medical condition at all, you must inform the babysitter or carer of this, and what to do in case of an emergency.
Source: AsiaOne
Also read: Tips when choosing a babysitter
