6-Month-Old Baby Dies After Turning Purple While Under Nanny's Care

A 6-month-old boy reportedly died of a cardiorespiratory failure in Singapore after being left in the care of a nanny by his parents.

The boy, Yong Jing Yu, had apparently stopped breathing before he was admitted to Sengkang General Hospital on Dec. 28, Chinese-language newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported Monday. The police said they were alerted about the baby being taken to a hospital in an unconscious state, and then about his being pronounced dead by the doctors.

"The night before, my son's appetite was still good," the child's mother Du Jing Lei, 30, said, according to The Straits Times. "When I took my baby to the nanny's home, he was still very happy."

The couple said they found the nanny, identified only as Madam Liu, through an online website and decided to hire her. The nanny claimed to have more than 10 years of experience in early childhood education.

In addition to the 6-month-old boy, she was also babysitting two other children – a 1-year-old and a 9-month-old.

The babysitter told Shin Min Daily News the infant had gone to sleep in a playpen inside a bedroom. She added there were no blankets or pillows in the playpen. According to Liu, she was preparing the child's bath when she realized he had stopped breathing and turned purple.

The babysitter reportedly tried to wake the infant but he was unresponsive. She then called the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for assistance.

"I followed the instructions (of paramedics) to press against his chest and gently massage his back until SCDF could arrive at the scene. But it was useless," she said.

Following the incident, Liu told the Chinese daily she was very upset, and "didn't want this to happen."

"Even if they (the parents) want me to kneel and apologize, I'm willing to do so," she added. Liu had been the boy's nanny for around four months.

It remains unclear as to what led to the child's cardiorespiratory failure. An investigation was currently underway into the incident. It is unknown if any charges will be placed in the case.