Copyright newsday
A Penal mother has lost her second child after her six-week-old son died at their home on the evening of October 23. Reports said the 40-year-old mother called the Penal Police Station around 6.30 pm to inform them of the death. The mother told investigators she last saw her son alive around 3.30 pm, lying in the bedroom. However, she found him unresponsive around 6.20 pm. She said he recently had issues breathing. Having already lost a previous child who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy after displaying similar symptoms, she said she took him to the Penal Health Centre on October 22 and was referred to the San Fernando General Hospital for an appointment date. Spinal muscular atrophy is a genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness. It can affect a person's ability to breathe, swallow, walk, and crawl, with symptoms often beginning in infancy or childhood. Investigators did not observe any signs of violence on the child's body. He was pronounced dead by a district medical officer, and an autopsy was ordered.
