An Alabama mother has been charged after authorities say she killed her medically fragile 17-month-old son by administering a deadly liquid mixture through his feeding tube.
Arrest and Charges
Kaitlynn Dominick, 22, was arrested Tuesday and charged with manslaughter and aggravated child abuse involving a child under the age of six following an investigation into her son's death earlier this month.
According to the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office, Dominick brought her 17-month-old son to USA Health Children's & Women's Hospital on May 4. The toddler, who suffered from a medical condition requiring a surgically implanted gastric feeding tube for nourishment, died the following morning.
Investigation Details
Hospital staff became alarmed by the child's laboratory results and a physician filed a mandatory report with the Alabama Department of Human Resources, prompting an investigation by sheriff's detectives. Authorities said Dominick initially provided inconsistent statements about what had happened to her son.
Investigators conducted extensive interviews with medical personnel, family members and others connected to the case before allegedly uncovering a disturbing admission.
'During follow-up, Dominick admitted to mixing a liquid solution and administering it to her son, leading to his death,' the sheriff's office said in a statement announcing the charges.
Contents of the Mixture
Officials have not publicly disclosed the exact contents of the mixture. However, a criminal complaint cited by local news outlets alleges the solution contained table salt and another undisclosed liquid.
Baldwin County Sheriff's Office Captain Justin Correa told Cleveland 19 News that a 'concoction' had been added to the child's feeding tube before the medical emergency unfolded.
'There was a concoction, a liquid mixture, that was introduced into the child's preexisting feeding tube that then led to this medical emergency that ultimately led to the child's death,' Correa said.
Correa noted that the child's young age and preexisting medical issues may have made him particularly vulnerable to the effects of the mixture.
'In this mixture, the level of ingredients that were given to this child — maybe to an adult, a normal, healthy adult, might not have presented the way it did — but of course a child, a seventeen-month-old who has preexisting medical conditions, I think it could have led to a greater medical emergency,' he said.
Prosecutors' Allegations
Prosecutors have alleged the act was intentional. Baldwin County Chief Assistant District Attorney Teresa Heinz told Cleveland 19 News she believes Dominick knew the mixture would harm her son.
'I do believe that she did know that this would harm the child,' Heinz said.
Prosecutors further alleged Dominick wanted relief from caring for the ill toddler, according to reports from Cleveland 19 News and Fox 10 News.
Authorities have not publicly identified the child or disclosed the nature of his underlying medical condition. The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office said the investigation remains ongoing and no further details will be released at this time.
Jail records show Dominick was booked into the Baldwin County Jail on May 26 and later released on bond.
