Investigations suspect postpartum depression for mother who died with baby
A mother who was found dead with her baby at the foot of an HDB block is suspected to have suffered from postpartum depression.
The case is believed to be one of “suicide-cum-infanticide”, and the police do not suspect any foul play.
On Tuesday (6 Aug), a coroner’s inquiry opened to investigate the twin deaths, as reported by Channel News Asia (CNA).
The inquiry revealed heartbreaking information on the mother’s mental state before her death.
With this information, the investigating officer suspects that she had been going through postpartum depression.
Overwhelmed by responsibility
In the three weeks after her son was born, the mother was perpetually afflicted by worries about taking care of her newborn.
The newborn had persistent jaundice, a condition characterised by yellow discolouration of skin and eyes due to issues of the liver.
Her son had visited clinics several times for the condition in November and December.
His last visit was at a polyclinic in December 2023.
She was also stressed about not pumping enough breast milk for her son.
According to her sister, she did not like the hassle of pumping breast milk. Yet at the same time, she felt guilty about feeding him formula milk.
Her sister had tried to assure her there was nothing wrong with feeding formula milk, but the mother blamed herself and called herself a “lazy mother”.
Source: Jordan Whitt on Unsplash for illustration purposes only
Mother believed to have postpartum depression
Before her death, the mother had repeatedly talked about feeling overwhelmed with stress.
She shared these feelings with her husband, her mother, and her sister.
According to the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ang Yu Shen, she had told her husband she was “going back and forth” between a clear mind and a foggy mind. She did not feel like herself when her mind was foggy.
She had also mentioned having “dark thoughts” and wanting to throw herself away, which her husband suspected was alluding to suicide.
However, her husband thought that the situation was not serious enough to warrant seeking assistance.
To her mother, she had repeatedly mentioned feeling she felt incapable of taking care of her son, and that she could not keep him alive.
Once, she had asked her mother and sister if they would take care of the baby if she did not want him anymore.
Both women did not respond to that question, instead consoling her and assuring her everything would turn out fine.
The confinement nanny and domestic helper had both noticed the mother crying a few times. She had shared that she feared she was not taking care of her son well enough.
In the confinement nanny’s experience, she felt that the mother was going through postpartum depression.
On one of the days when her sister visited, she overheard the mother calling her son’s name and saying,
‘You are not a mistake.’
Death of mother & baby
On the morning of their deaths, the mother had sent their nanny on an errand to buy milk powder, despite there being enough milk powder in the house.
Her husband had been sleeping in their room, having returned home late from watching football the night before.
When the nanny returned, she saw police officers gathered at the void deck. She did not think much of this at first.
However, when she went up to the flat, she saw an unfamiliar padlock on the metal gate, which she could not open.
She rang the doorbell until the husband woke up, who was also unfamiliar with the padlock. He ultimately found a card in the house with the padlock’s code printed on it.
The nanny then informed him of the police officers downstairs.
The husband then went downstairs to check what was happening as he could not find his wife or son.
He was informed of their deaths later on.
Source: MustShareNews
Not seen for any mental health conditions
The mother was never seen for any mental health issues or medical conditions when she died.
She had suffered a miscarriage five years before her death.
In 2018, she visited a private hospital after being diagnosed with molar pregnancy, which is a rare complication of pregnancy involving unusual cell growth.
She visited a fertility clinic in 2022 and successfully conceived in 2023, giving birth in November later that year.
On the day of the incident, the nanny found the kitchen window wide open, with the laundry that was hanging to dray pushed aside to create a path, and a plastic chair had been placed in front of the window.
Both mother and son were found to have died from injuries consistent with a fall from height. The police also did not find any drugs or alcohol in their urine.
She is believed to have carried her son with her.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health, here are some hotlines to reach out to for support:
- Samaritans of Singapore Hotline: 1767
- Institute of Mental Health’s Helpline: 6389 2222
- Singapore Association for Mental Health Helpline: 1800 283 7019
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Wes Hicks on Unsplash.
