Sleeping position of 2-month-old girl could have played part in her death

The prone sleeping position of a two-month-old baby who was found dead in a Bukit Batok flat could have had a part to play in her death, a coroner’s court ruled on Nov 15.

Despite this, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said the cause of Nur Misha Syaifa Mustaqim’s death could not be ascertained and declared an open verdict.

He added that there was no foul play involved in the death of Nur Misha, who died on Dec 3, 2022, and that there was no plausible reason that her parents had intended to harm her.

There was also no evidence of neglect or ill-treatment of the baby.

The child’s father, Mr Mustaqim Rosli, was previously charged with causing the baby’s death by suffocating her with a pillow.

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

The court heard that Nur Misha’s father is a food delivery driver and her mother is a housewife.

At the time of the incident, the couple lived with the baby and their two older sons in a one-room rental flat at Block 447A Bukit Batok West Avenue 9.

In the early hours of Dec 3, 2022, Nur Misha was pronounced dead by paramedics who were called to the scene after her parents found that her lips were blue and she was cold to the touch.

Her parents gave conflicting accounts of what happened before she died.

The child’s mother, identified only as Madam Siti in court, had initially accused Mr Mustaqim of causing the baby’s death by suffocating her with a bolster, but she later retracted the claim.

State Coroner Nakhoda said the mother made the allegation out of a sense of loss and worry for her family.

According to Madam Siti, Mr Mustaqim was roused from his sleep when he heard the baby crying.

He placed Nur Misha in a prone position, or chest down, in her cot. The mother quarrelled with the father over this.

She told the police that she then put the child on her back, but Mr Mustaqim returned her to a prone position.

As Nur Misha had stopped crying, the mother went to sleep after ensuring that the baby was breathing.

She said she awoke to noise made by her older children and discovered Nur Misha lying face down with her face and lips blue.

The mother then called for Mr Mustaqim, who started patting the baby and calling out to her.

But in Mr Mustaqim’s version of events, he had decided to place the baby on her belly when she was crying as he felt she was tired of sleeping face up.

He then patted her back to burp her and told his wife to ensure that she was breathing, before he went to bed.

He woke up when he heard his sons playing and saw Nur Misha with her face pale. 

State Coroner Nakhoda said that according to re-enactment photos provided to the court, when Mr Mustaqim put her in a prone position, he rested her forehead on a small pillow.

At this point, there was space between the baby’s nose and mouth and the surface of the cot. Madam Siti had also noted that her daughter was still breathing.

However, due to the baby’s movements, the possibility that her nose was pressed against the mattress and that she was asphyxiated was very real, said the State Coroner.

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

State Coroner Nakhoda noted that the exact time Nur Misha was found unresponsive could not be ascertained, but that it was not vital as she had already died when her parents found her in a prone position.

He offered his condolences to Nur Misha’s family and grandparents, who were in court for the verdict.

Speaking to The Straits Times after the hearing, the baby’s grandfather, Mr Abdul Kadir, 55, said he will remember her as a happy baby who was always smiling.

Choking up as he scrolled through photos of her on his mobile phone, the logistics manager said: “She was the first granddaughter in the family. At first, we had only boys. Then Misha came along. You can imagine how happy we all were.”

Mr Abdul, who has eight grandchildren, including Nur Misha, said: “I really miss her, and my heart really hurts. I still remember carrying her in my arms when she was born.”

Following the verdict, he said he was relieved to finally close this chapter after her death almost two years ago.

“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.