The mother of the 17-month-old baby boy, whose body was found floating in the sea off Bedok Jetty on Monday, has been charged with the murder of the infant.

The 44-year-old woman was charged in court on Tuesday afternoon "for the offence of murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, which carries the death penalty", said a police statement issued on Tuesday evening.

The police had said in an earlier statement that the mother had been warded at Singapore General Hospital after Police Coast Guard officers pulled her out from the sea off East Coast Park at 6.03pm on Monday.

The infant's body was found floating off East Coast Park about three hours later, and the boy was pronounced dead on scene by paramedics.