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A 26-year-old Florida woman was arrested Tuesday afternoon after medical staff at a local hospital determined her infant suffered from severe medical neglect, according to law enforcement officials.
Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Detectives arrested Jodie Danielle Cannon of Florahome following an investigation that began on July 7, when a Florida Department of Children and Families caseworker called emergency personnel to evaluate the baby due to significant weight loss and a severe diaper rash.
According to authorities, Cannon had been offered the option to take the child to a doctor prior to emergency personnel being contacted, but she refused. When rescue workers arrived at the scene, they requested that Cannon not ride in the ambulance due to concerns regarding neglect.
Upon admission to the pediatric intensive care unit, doctors found the infant was suffering from a low heart rate, abnormally low body temperature, and critical weight loss that had dropped the child below the fifth percentile for growth.
Medical staff concluded that the infant could have died without immediate medical intervention. Investigators noted that Cannon declined offers for medical assistance during this period.
During questioning, Cannon told detectives that the baby was struggling to eat and that a pediatrician had previously advised her to switch formulas. She stated that the pediatrician’s office subsequently closed and that she had not taken the infant back to see a doctor despite observing the continued weight loss.
Following a formal medical assessment by doctors in the pediatric intensive care unit, a judge issued a warrant on Monday for Cannon’s arrest. She faces charges of aggravated child neglect with great bodily harm and child neglect. Cannon was taken into custody and transported to the Putnam County Jail, where she is being held on a $35,000 bond.
The infant has since been discharged from the hospital into the care of the Department of Children and Families and is expected to recover.
READ: Tennessee Father Arrested After 3-Year-Old Missing Son Found Dead Inside Suitcase
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