Father detained, released after sudden death of baby 

A Plaisance, East Coast Demerara family was thrown into turmoil Monday morning after Police held a father following the sudden death of his four-month-old baby; a post mortem hours later revealed that the baby died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Dead is Jonathan Tevin Rankin of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara.

Reports are that the child was left in the care of the father while the mother attended a relative’s birthday party. When the mother returned home, she realised the baby was not breathing.

The baby was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. As per protocol, the hospital informed the Police and the father was held for questioning.

This raised a number of speculations as to the death of the baby.

Commander of ‘C’ Division Calvin Brutus acknowledged that the father should not have been taken into custody; rather, he said a statement should have been taken until the results of the post mortem were known.

Sudden infant death syndrome refers to the sudden, unexpected and unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby.

It occurs rarely.