Penal police are investigating the death of a one-year, eight-month-old baby girl at a home in Penal on Tuesday morning. The baby and her two siblings were left in the care of her grandmother over the weekend.
The woman told the police that on Monday around 5 pm, the baby reportedly developed a slight fever.
She said later that night, at around 11.30, she attempted to feed the child a bottle. However, the child took a sip, spat it out, and refused to drink any more. She was later placed to sleep on her abdomen on a mattress in the living room.
When the grandmother checked on her around 3 am, she was unresponsive. Emergency Health Services were contacted, but efforts to resuscitate the child were unsuccessful.
When the police arrived at the home, the baby was lying on a mattress in the living room, wearing a diaper and with casts on both feet. Police said her body bore no visible marks of violence.
An autopsy is expected to be done at the San Fernando mortuary. —Sascha Wilson