Mom Accused of Starving Her 20-Month-Old Daughter to Death, Giving Her Only 250 Calories a Day
The mom of two allegedly claimed that her younger daughter’s diet consisted mainly of yogurt, vegetable pouches and fruit pouches
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Sausha Myers.Credit :
St. Louis City Justice Center
A St. Louis mom has been charged with two counts of abuse or neglect of a child after her 20-month-old daughter died of what seemed to be severe malnutrition.
According to court documents obtained by KMOV, Fox 2 Now and KSDK, Sausha Myers was charged on June 13 after her two children were allegedly found emaciated in their family home in the 4300 block of St. Ferdinand.
After Myers, 29, called the police to report that her 20-month-old daughter was nonresponsive and breathing slowly, officers arrived to find the child lying on the living room floor, according to KMOV.
Another 3-year-old girl was also found inside the residence, and both children appeared to be malnourished. They were taken to St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
Court documents stated that the younger child weighed only 10 pounds and appeared to have bedsores and pressure marks on her back and head, according to KMOV and Fox 2 Now.
She was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
The 3-year-old child, who remains in the hospital, was described in a probable cause statement as being very malnourished, weighing 17 pounds and three ounces, per KSDK.
Court documents also stated that the child had lanugo, a type of body hair that a baby develops for protection and warmth.
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According to the Cleveland Clinic, lanugo can indicate poor nutrition and malnourishment, as it often grows when a person doesn’t have enough body fat to keep them warm.
Since being taken into custody at the hospital, Myers has been held without bond and confirmed that she is the sole caregiver of both children.
She also claimed that, although she was aware that her children were not meeting developmental milestones, neither had seen a pediatrician in more than a year, KMOV and Fox5 reported, citing the court documents.
Upon further investigation into their living circumstances, detectives determined that the younger child consumed fewer than 250 calories per day, per KMOV. Myers allegedly said her youngest daughter’s diet consisted mainly of yogurt, vegetable pouches and fruit pouches.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.