A young mother is blaming Malta's largest private employer for her child's death as a direct result of exposure to melamine at work over a period of three months.

Bethany Cassar, 25, and her boyfriend Claude Frendo, 26, filed a judicial protest against STMicroelectronics after her son Kyle Christian died just a day after he was born prematurely in November, seven months into her pregnancy.

Ms Cassar claimed she had persistently told the person responsible for health and safety at STMicroelectronics she need-ed to be moved from her present position because she was pregnant. She said it took three months for her to be finally moved to another department.

She was meant to deliver her baby on January 10 this year but, instead, went into labour on November 23 and her son died the next day.

A post-mortem examination listed neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, bilateral renal cystic dysplasia kidneys and clinical prematurity as the cause of death.

The mother's lawyers said the causes of death were directly linked to her exposure to melamine during her work, saying their claims were backed by foreign studies, which have not yet been disclosed.

Melamine is an organic compound often combined with form-aldehyde to produce melamine resin, a synthetic polymer that is fire resistant and heat tolerant.

It is used to produce floor tiles, kitchenware, fire retardant fabrics and commercial filters, among other uses. The mother said her baby died because of the negligence of the company which did not take the necessary precautions to prevent the exposure.

The couple are holding the company responsible for the death.

Lawyers Roberto Montalto and Edward Zammit Lewis signed the protest.