Balandra baby dies after bleeding from nose

A post-mortem is to be done on a two-month old baby who died hours after she started bleeding from the nose.

Reports say the child and her mother were at their home in Balandra around 9.30 pm on May 14 when the mother fed and burped the baby before putting her on the bed.

A short while later she noticed the baby shaking, grimacing and screaming and thought the child was experiencing discomfort related to constipation.

She picked up the child and saw blood and froth coming from her nose.

The mother tried calling her husband and other relatives, but did not get a response.

She remembered the child was treated with Panadol when she visited the health centre last month and administered a dose and gripe water before putting her back on the bed.

Around 5 am on May 15, the mother went to check on her daughter and found her lifeless and unresponsive.

She contacted her husband, who called an ambulance which took the baby to the Sangre Grande District Hospital. Three hours later a doctor there declared the baby dead.

The mother was interviewed by medical staff, who also contacted the Toco Police Station so officers could begin investigating the child’s death.

Newsday understands police found the baby’s stomach unusually high and swollen, but there were no marks of violence on her body.

Police retrieved items of evidential value from the home but were unable to record the mother’s statement as she was in no state of mind to speak at the time.

A post-mortem was expected to be done on the baby on May 16.