Watchdog Probes Babys Tragic Live Stream Cot Death

Chinese authorities are investigating a after a crying infant girl died in her cot while her worried mum was advised not to intervene and instead watched a live stream on the other side of the door.

The Jinshan District Market Regulation Bureau in Shanghai, in East China, said it had issued a cease and desist order to the child care training agency called ‘Wonton’, or ‘Parenting Skills by Little Wonton’ in full.

Police in the city of Shantou, in South China’s Guangdong Province, where the incident happened, said they were also looking into the case and trying to get in touch with the mother in question.

The subscription-based service, registered in the major port city under the company name ‘Amy Babycare’, offers new parents child care advice via its online platform.

https://streamable.com/w8g9n2
Credit: AsiaWire

Consultants known as ‘teachers’ respond to parents while guiding them through various programmes, including one which caused the recent controversy – training babies how to sleep on their stomachs.

Despite scientific literature linking face-down sleeping with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – or cot death – the Chinese parenting platform claims it “makes babies feel safer” and “aids digestion”.

Screenshots from the platform’s chat room now circulating online show the mother, whose name has not been given, sharing a CCTV video of her baby crying while struggling on her stomach on 16th April.

Despite voicing concerns and asking whether she should enter the room to turn her over, she was advised to let the training take its course.

Just two hours after the girl was first heard crying, the mother announces she had found her daughter dead, suffocated to death in her cot, the messages show.

Song Bin, deputy director of the Shanghai consumer watchdog, said yesterday (22nd April) that they had tracked down the legal representative of the company, a man by the name of Du Cong who lives in the United States.

Credit: AsiaWire / WeChat
Screenshots of chat messages between 1:01 and 2:12pm on 16th April show the mum begging for advice about her crying baby, who is face down in her cot

The platform has been ordered to suspend its business and cooperate with an ongoing investigation into the matter.

The shocking incident continues to trend on social media, with the public labelling the consulting agency’s advice as “unprofessional” and “reckless”.

A company statement was also deemed “callous” after it claimed it had “zero responsibility” in the young girl’s death, saying the mother had not informed them of any wrongdoing.

No arrests had been announced at the time of writing.

Messages sent by the mother on the day of the incident read: “Is anybody there? I’m a bit worried.

“My baby just went to sleep but she suddenly turned around.

“She usually refuses to sleep on her stomach. Listen to her cries. Should I go in and turn her around?

“I’m currently standing by the door. I’m worried she’ll suffocate.”

No one responds for nine minutes, so she repeats her message and tags a consultant, saying: “Please take a look [at the video]. My usual guidance teacher isn’t answering.”

She is advised not to intervene, and her daughter stops crying an hour later.

The mum writes: “There’s no more sound. I’m afraid she’s suffocated to death.”

Credit: AsiaWire / WeChat
Screenshots of chat messages between 1:01 and 2:12pm on 16th April show the mum begging for advice about her crying baby, who is face down in her cot

An hour later, she reveals her daughter has died, writing:“She really was suffocating.

“She’s dead. She’s not breathing.

“Her lips are purple. What do I do?

“It’s been nearly an hour since [she stopped crying].

“I found her while trying to wake her up for feeding.

“My mother-in-law has taken her to the hospital.

“I can’t face this.”


To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: John FengSub-EditorJoseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

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