Starving 9-week-old rapidly loses weight and dies, Indiana cops say. Mom charged
A baby born at approximately 9 pounds weighed around 6 pounds just nine weeks later when he died, Indiana police said.
The “lively” baby was found “blue” and “barely breathing” when his mother checked on him while he was asleep in April, according to court documents. He was taken to a hospital near Michigan City, where hospital staff said his body temperature was in a hypothermic state, dropping to 87.5 degrees, police said.
He was rushed to a Chicago-area hospital, where he died. An autopsy determined he died of starvation and malnutrition, officials said.
Now, the 21-year-old mother has been charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death. She was arrested Oct. 24 and is being held on a $10,000 bond, according to jail records.
Her attorney information was not listed. McClatchy News will not be naming the suspect to protect the identity of her other children.
Court documents filed Oct. 11 outline a history of breastfeeding issues with the infant, but the mother did not seek emergency care or switch to formula when the baby started to rapidly drop weight.
The baby weighed 9 pounds, 5.6 ounces at birth and weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces when he arrived at the hospital, according to court records.
The mother told a case worker from Child Protective Services that the “same thing happened to her other child,” according to court documents. The mother said she had struggled to produce milk with one of her other children, according to police.
“(The mother) wanted to formula feed (the baby), but her mother wanted (her) to breastfeed,” the warrant said.
The mother told police that her other child switched to formula and started to “thrive,” according to court documents, but she waited too long to make the switch with her 9-week-old.
The mother noticed her son wasn’t gaining weight, so she made a doctor’s appointment, which was scheduled for the day after his death, the woman told police.
The family struggled to get a doctor’s appointment but said they never took the infant to urgent care.
Michigan City police said it was unknown why the parents did not seek medical care sooner.
The mother is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 12.
Michigan City is about a 60-mile drive southeast from Chicago.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Starving 9-week-old rapidly loses weight and dies, Indiana cops say. Mom charged."
