CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — A Franklin County woman has been charged with endangering the welfare of children after police say she did not adequately feed an infant girl in her care.
Kayla Ann Evans, 23, of Chambersburg, was charged on May 27, after and investigation by Chambersburg Police, according to a criminal complaint affidavit filed against her.
Evans is accused of neglecting to feed a seven-month-old infant that was diagnosed with malnutrition and failure to thrive. Franklin County Children and Youth Services contacted police about the baby on May 2, after she was hospitalized in critical condition due to inadequate nutrition.
Doctors told police the baby was malnourished to a "near-fatal degree" when she was admitted to Harrisburg Hospital for treatment on April 22, according to the complaint.
The baby's health had stabilized by the time police were contacted, the complaint states.
An investigation by police determined Evans had a history of missing follow-up appointments for the baby. Childcare advocates who met with Evans and the baby in April, before she was hospitalized, were concerned that "the baby would die if left with (Evans) without medical intervention," according to the criminal complaint.
Evans allegedly told a certified pediatric nurse practitioner that her doctors' suggested feeding schedule for the baby (every 2-3 hours) was "just too much" and that she left the baby in another room when she cried, police say.
The CPNP described the baby as exhibiting a "high-pitched miserable cry" and that she was "wide-eyed crying, likely due to hunger" during a visit on April 22, before the baby was hospitalized.
The baby was placed in foster care after being hospitalized. In a follow-up visit on May 12, the baby displayed a "remarkable" difference in appearance and health, the CPNP told police. The child had solid foods added to her diet and was showing no issues, the nurse practitioner said.
The baby had gained more than three pounds between April 22 and May 12, police say.
