8-month-old baby was hospitalised twice before fatal abuse
An eight-month-old baby who was repeatedly abused by his parents before his death was admitted to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) twice in 2024.
However, he was not referred to the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s (MSF) Protective Service or a social service agency before he died.
Trevor Neo Yu Hin was first hospitalised for five days in Jan 2024 after concerns that his mother had shaken him.
He was just over a month old.
Source: Google Maps, for illustrative purposes only
The developments emerged after Trevor’s parents, Neo Jia Ming, 27, and Chloe Gan Ci Xuan, 23, were sentenced on 21 Oct for offences linked to their son’s abuse and death.
Neo was jailed for 16 years, while Gan received 15 years and three months’ jail.
Baby admitted to KKH after concerns he was shaken
In early 2024, Gan had shaken Trevor vigorously until he became unconscious.
When she subsequently tried to feed him, he did not respond, prompting the couple to seek medical attention.
Trevor was hence admitted to KKH from 18 to 23 Jan 2024, CNA reported.
In a statement seen by MS News, Chairman of KKH’s medical board, Associate Professor Eileen Lew, said his father brought him to the hospital after he had been drinking less milk and vomiting, amid concerns that his mother had shaken him.
She said the hospital conducted thorough evaluations, including a brain scan, eye examination, and X-rays.
“Trevor was found to be normal and there were no injuries. He was conscious, alert, and there was no reported loss of consciousness,” she said.
She said Trevor remained in hospital while care plans were drawn up, and his parents agreed to follow them before his discharge.
The hospital continued to follow up after he went home, including facilitating access to parenting and child development support services for his parents.
“With no outstanding concerns, the case was eventually closed,” Assoc Prof Lew said.
She did not disclose details of the care plan or how long the hospital followed up on Trevor’s case before closing it.
Source: Google Maps
Second hospital visit after nanny noticed mouth injury
Trevor returned to KKH on 2 April 2024, when he was about four months old.
According to The Straits Times (ST), Neo had put his fingers into Trevor’s mouth and dug around to stop him from crying while on the way to the nanny’s home.
This caused bleeding under his tongue.
When the nanny noticed the injury, she insisted that the baby be taken to a doctor.
“On examination, the doctor found Trevor to be well, with no tear or bleeding under the tongue, and he was discharged on the same day,” Assoc Prof Lew said.
His parents told the doctor that Trevor liked sucking on his hands and fingers, she added.
The couple also “sought medical attention promptly, was cooperative, and provided accounts consistent with the clinical findings”.
CNA reported that the doctor had noted trauma and redness under Trevor’s tongue.
KKH discharged Trevor on the same day.
He was not referred to MSF’s Protective Service or a social service agency for abuse concerns before his death.
The next time he was brought to KKH again, on 2 Sept 2024, he “was brought to the hospital unresponsive and was pronounced dead despite resuscitation efforts”.
MSF appoints independent panel to review case
In a statement seen by MS News, an MSF spokesperson said MSF had appointed an independent review panel to examine Trevor’s case, despite his death occurring in Sept 2024.
Source: Google Maps
Trevor’s death had occurred before the ministry announced in Nov 2025 that all child deaths known to social services would be independently reviewed.
The panel was tasked to “identify lessons and recommend further improvements to the child protection ecosystem”.
According to MSF, the review emphasised “the need for professionals to better recognise and respond to concerns involving infants and young children, and to coordinate support when families come into contact with different services”.
The ministry added that the lessons had been shared across the social, healthcare and early childhood sectors.
MSF also noted that Trevor’s parents had attended a marriage preparation programme from May to June 2023, before his birth, and were offered parenting-related resources.
The ministry said child protection professionals often had to make difficult assessments based on incomplete and evolving information, including accounts provided by those caring for a child.
“While no child protection system can uncover every concealment or misrepresentation, or detect every case in time, this does not diminish our collective responsibility to learn from serious cases and continually strengthen how concerns are identified, shared and followed up,” MSF said.
Parents jailed for abusing baby for most of his life
Trevor was repeatedly shaken, hit and smothered by his parents to stop him from crying during most of his short life.
On the night of 1 Sept 2024, Gan repeatedly covered his face and pressed down on his nose and mouth. She also hit him in the face and turned him face down on a mattress.
Neo was in the same room playing a mobile phone game and did not intervene.
Trevor was found unresponsive later that night and was pronounced dead at KKH at about 12.20am the next day (2 Sept).
An autopsy could not determine a definitive cause of death, ST reported.
On 21 Oct, the High Court sentenced Gan to 15 years and three months’ jail for causing Trevor’s death and other offences.
Neo was sentenced to 16 years’ jail for allowing his death, ill-treating him, permitting his ill-treatment and domestic abuse of Gan.
In sentencing the couple, Justice Hoo Sheau Peng said they had to be held fully accountable for their cruel acts, despite their youth and inexperience.
“In an exchange of text messages on Jan 18, 2024, the couple, especially Mr Neo, made light of their physical abuse of Trevor and the potential detrimental consequences to Trevor,” the judge added.
“They continued with the abuse thereafter.”
Also read: MSF apologises over death of 4-year-old Megan Khung, resolves to prevent repeat of such tragedies
MSF apologises over death of 4-year-old Megan Khung, resolves to prevent repeat of such tragedies
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Featured image adapted from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital on Facebook and Google Maps.
