Mom Found Guilty Of Causing The Death Of A 5 Month Old Infant Daughter While Intoxicated Co-sleeping

Texas: Authorities this week revealed that a Texas lady who has a history of placing children in risky situations will be imprisoned for the next many decades in connection with the death of her own young daughter. In a courtroom presided over by Blanco County 33rd District Judge J. Allan Garrett, Danielle Ivy Dechert, 27, entered a guilty plea on August 30 to one count each of intentionally causing harm to a child and recklessly causing their death. The Texas Attorney General’s Office stated in a press statement on Monday that she was later given a 40-year sentence to serve in state prison.

Death Of A 5 Month Old Baby

The Lone Star State’s formal legal system moved quickly in this case since the 5 month old baby girl’s life was lost in a terrible and deadly occurrence that happened earlier in August. The incident occurred in Blanco area, which is named for the Blanco River in the Texas Hill Country. The area is primarily rural and has a small population. Johnson City, the county seat, is situated about 50 miles to the west of Austin. According to court documents filed in the case, the defendant became intoxicated on the day in issue while sharing a bed with her kid. The mother fatally smothered her child by rolling over on her while she was sleeping.

Co-sleeping Of Adult And Infant Is Illegal In USA

Sharing a bed between an adult and a tiny child is known as co-sleeping. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against the technique for newborns because of the significant risk of death. However, Dechert opted, for the most part, not to take any corrective action for a while after realizing what had transpired. The infant lay motionless for more than eight hours as the mother neglected to give him any medical attention or emergency assistance once he woke up.