On Friday, a mother from Indiana was indicted for felony neglect. Her infant son had passed away after straps on his car seat were too tight.
Court documents reveal that on May 26, 2021, Megan Ford, 35, saw that her son, Kai, was unconscious. This was found after she had driven to her mother’s home which was 15 minutes away.
At first, Ford just thought that the baby was sleep.
When emergency crews arrived, they discovered that the infant had blood dripping from his nose and mouth. Additionally, his skin color appeared to be blue.
First responders attempted to save the baby, but he was declared deceased at a hospital.
Ford had disclosed to authorities that the baby seemed a “little fussy” when she had placed him in the vehicle.
The age of the infant wasn’t released, but a wellness check just a few days prior had shown that he was 8 pounds and 2 ounces.
The mother also expressed that she had been using a Graco car seat since the child had been born. However, she never fixed the straps because she didn’t know how to do it. She says that she had been traveling to her mother’s home to figure it out.
An autopsy report showed that Kai had bruises where the buckle sat on his stomach. He also had five broken ribs. An expert noted that the fractured ribs may have come from CPR, but that isn’t clear.
Kai’s death was said to be due to “probable mechanical asphyxiation due to chest and abdomen compression.”
Ford confessed to officers that she was aware that Kai’s straps were extremely tight after he had seen a doctor two days prior.
The father of the child also said that he had spoken to Ford about the tight straps, as well. He said that they had thrown the car seat manual away and neither knew how to fix the straps as they were first-time parents.
Ford faces a charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury. It is a level 3 felony.
She has been released from custody on a $10,000 bond.
