Baby dies while being bottle fed by father playing with handphone

A coroner's inquiry heard on Tuesday a three-month-old baby might have choked to death while being bottle-fed by her father who was distracted playing a football game on his handphone.

At about 10.20am on Oct 12 last year, Reyhana Qailah Mohamad Shiddiq was being fed by her father, Mr Mohamed Shiddiq Sazali, now 27.

The baby's mother, Madam Nurraishah Mahzan, now 31, had just left her Telok Blangah Crescent flat to report for a urine test at Clementi Police Division.

Alone with the baby, Mr Shiddiq was playing a football game on his mobile phone while feeding Reyhana with his left hand when she began struggling.

He was then seated on a bed and Reyhana was resting on his lap.

Investigation officer Tony Won testified Reyhana had started pushing the milk bottle away using her tongue.

Yet, her father continued to play the game and placed the milk bottle inside her mouth.

Reyhana cried and started kicking.

Mr Shiddiq continued playing without looking at his daughter.

Two minutes later, Reyhana went silent.

At about the same time, the baby's maternal grandfather returned from the market to find the baby pale and motionless.

Reyhana, who initially had a pulse, vomited milk when the older man performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on her.

CPR was subsequently performed on the unresponsive baby by her mother, a police officer and then a paramedic.

Reyhana died about an hour later in hospital.

Police do not suspect any foul play.

An autopsy found old injuries on her including fractures on her right ribs and skull.

A pathologist said the injuries would not have caused or contributed to her death.

While Reyhana's cause of death cannot be ascertained, the final cause of death report mentioned smothering or suffocation, and choking on milk may also be possible causes of death.

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