An Iowa woman was arrested last month after a months-long investigation determined that she had purposefully injured her infant son.
According to court records, Emma Ann Swanson, aged 22, was accused of neglecting to provide sufficient food and healthcare for a child who was diagnosed with failure to thrive at 2 months old. The child was notably underweight at the time, a fact that Swanson was aware of but failed to address.
Reports indicate that in July, the child had a seizure. Instead of seeking professional help, Swanson opted to capture the incident on her phone. Subsequent seizures occurred in October.
In a separate incident in September, court filings suggest that Swanson used excessive force on the infant, leading to bruising and swelling in the genital area. Once more, she did not take the child for medical treatment, resulting in a deterioration of the injuries.
In early October, she “intentionally used unreasonable force, including shaking or striking,” and caused serious injuries, including a skull fracture, subdural hematomas, and hemorrhages. The injuries caused severe damage to one eye and caused a stroke.
Swanson left the baby with her boyfriend in early October, and he urged her to take the child to a hospital, which she delayed for two more days before taking him to an emergency room, where she told staff that the boy had fallen from a swing onto a carpeted floor. The child’s condition was so severe that he was transferred to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where doctors determined that the boy’s injuries were caused by non-accidental trauma and not from the six-inch fall that she claimed.
When questioned by police, Swanson “appeared unfazed, blamed medical staff for malpractice and posted on social media, suggesting a lack of accountability.”
Medical officials said that Swanson’s behavior indicated a specific intent to cause harm.
Court documents did not provide an update on the child’s condition or say where he was now. The documents also did not indicate why no charges were filed for months.
Swanson has been charged with child endangerment and willful injury causing serious injury, KCCI reported. Her arraignment is set for June 16.
