4-month-old baby girl died from “traumatic asphyxia”

A post-mortem examination that was done on the body of four-month-old Kaylee Atkinson of Annandale, Essequibo Coast, gave her cause death as “traumatic asphyxia”.
Traumatic asphyxia, also known as crush asphyxia, occurs when there is pressure placed on the chest so that normal respiration cannot occur.

On Sunday last, Atkinson was discovered dead with her drunken father’s foot on her chest.
It was reported that the now dead baby lived with her teenage parents along with an older sibling.
However, it was reported that the father returned home on Saturday evening last at about 20:10h under the influence of alcohol and went into the kitchen where he fell asleep on the floor.
The teenage mother then retired to bed with her two children but they were later joined by the father, who slept with them.
Nevertheless, at about 01:55h on Sunday, the mother woke up to breastfeed the baby and observed her husband’s foot resting on the child’s chest and abdomen. As she looked closer, the teenager noticed a “whitish” substance oozing from the baby’s mouth and that she was not breathing.
She immediately woke up the 18-year-old father and rushed the child to the Suddie Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty.
With the post-mortem results, it is not clear if charges will be laid against the father.