IT was a traumatic experience for two babies in separate cases that resulted in the death of one and the other suffering fractured legs.

Both cases occurred on Thursday in Cheras. In the first case, a two-month-old girl sustained fractures on both legs that has led police to suspect child abuse.

In the second incident, a 25-day-old boy died from internal bleeding in the head caused by blunt force trauma, a case that is tantamount to infanticide. No arrests have been made in both cases yet as investigations are still in progress.

Poser over baby’s fractured legs

RECOVERING: The two-month old baby girl with fractured legs being treated at the KL Hospital

For the last 15 days the girl was sent to a babysitter while the mother was away at work. The mother swears that she knows nothing of the injuries and has denied abusing the child.

The 41-year-old mother, who works as a cleaner with a private company said that at 3pm last Thursday she went to the babysitter’s house to pick up her child.

“She was asleep when I got there but when I carried her she started crying. I did not suspect anything amiss as it was normal for her to cry when her sleep is disturbed,” she said.

“However, I started to worry when she refused to stop crying the whole night,” she said.

The couple rushed their child to a panel clinic but the doctor said she was having a fever. Not satisfied with the diagnosis, they took her to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

After a scan was carried out the couple was shocked to learn that both their daughter’s legs were fractured.

“The result was a real shocker,” she said.

The girl was admitted on Friday and is expected to be there for at least a week.

“I am sad but I accept this as my fate. We can’t turn back time but fortunately she is recovering,” said  the mother of four.

The child’s father, a driver, said: “Everything that happened must have a reason.”

The couple had confronted the babysitter who seemed to be just as shocked.

“We met the babysitter and tried to get an answer. But it seems that she too is shocked that our daughter is in hospital with fractured legs,” said the father.

Kajang district police chief ACP Sakaruddin Che Mood confirmed that reports had been lodged and the case was classified under Section 31 (1) of the Child Act 2001 for child abuse.

ACP Sakaruddin Che Mood said that no arrests have been made. “Police have questioned the babysitter. We are continuing our investigations as we still do not know what caused the injuries,” he said.

Investigation into infant’s death

A BABY boy, barely a month-old, who died from internal bleeding in the head believed to have been
caused by blunt force trauma last Thursday has authorities puzzled as his parents claim that they do not know how it happened.

Police, however, are investigating the case under Section 309A of the Penal Code for infanticide as the case appeared to be “suspicious”.

The parents had told police the 25-day-old baby had been restless and crying the previous night.

When the mother, a 23-year-old housewife, living in an apartment in Taman Bukit Belimbing, Batu 9
Cheras, woke up at about 10am, she found the boy not moving.

The woman, who was in a state of panic, called her husband, a 24-yearold contractor and they took the child to hospital.

They, however, only lodged a police report 14-hours later at about 12am.

Kajang district police chief ACP Sakaruddin Che Mood said the time the parents took to lodge the report was one of the “suspicious points” in the case.

“We are investigating what caused the haemorrhage in the baby’s head  and why the parents took so long to report the case, though they claimed they did not know what to do then,” said Sakaruddin.

A post-mortem at Hospital Serdang revealed that the baby had a fracture in the skull of which the
cause is unknown.

Sakaruddin said police had yet to make any arrests as investigations were ongoing.

However, he said that both parents will be questioned again after police receive the official medical report on the child’s cause of death.