Open verdict for death of infant who was under nanny's care

Coroner says no foul play in case of 6-month-old found face down in flat

- Christine Tan

There is no definitive cause of death for a six-month-old boy who was found face down in a flat while under the care of his nanny, a coroner's court has ruled.

Delivering an open verdict for the case of Yong Jing Yu on April 9 after a year-long inquiry, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda added there was no foul play involved.

"Losing a child is always a devastating event, perhaps more so when the child is a very young infant with no record of serious medical issues, as in the case with Jing Yu," said the coroner as the infant's parents, Mr Yong Chen Seng and Madam Toh Jinq Lay, listened with the help of a Mandarin interpreter.

The infant had been under the care of the nanny since he was around three months old. The nanny's full name was not stated in court proceedings.

On Dec 28, 2021, the day of Jing Yu's death, the nanny fed him milk and put him to bed in a cot around 3pm, investigation officer (IO) Russel Tong said on the first day of the coroner's inquiry on March 27, 2023.

When the nanny found him lying face down around 6.20pm and saw his face had turned blue, she called for an ambulance.

IO Tong said the Singapore Civil Defence Force gave the nanny instructions to try to resuscitate the baby.