By Sarah Omondi
A sombre mood has engulfed residents of Matungu in Kakamega County following the death of a 10-month-old baby who drowned in a basin full of water while the mother was washing clothes.
The 25-year-old Audrey Akumu was busy doing laundry while her baby was playing around near her.
After a short while, she realized that the baby had gone silent only to find the minor sleeping inside the basin.
Neighbors who responding to the mother’s wails rushed the baby to a nearby health centre where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) has advised mothers to always perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Incase of an accident even when a child is unresponsive.
CPR involves checking the baby’s breathing pattern and establishing whether or not they are breathing normally.
Incase the baby is unresponsive or breathing abnormally, place two fingers at the centre of their chest and push deeply and steady repeatedly.
Tilt the baby’s head and lift their chin and give them two breaths while placing a barrier over their mouth and nose and repeat the cycle until you can access a professional healthcare provider.
