Mother accused of nearly starving 2-month-old son to death

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE/Gray News) - An Indiana mother has been arrested after deputies say her 2-month-old son nearly died of starvation.

Christin Donat, 26, is charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, WFIE reports.

Deputies say the baby boy was taken to the hospital by Donat’s concerned roommate because Donat wanted to rest after a shift at her part-time job. They say she came to the hospital hours later.

Authorities say the baby weighed less than he did at birth, and it was reported he had loose skin on his arms, legs and torso. They say he was emaciated and suffering from starvation, dehydration and malnutrition. An example given in the report compared him to a Holocaust victim.

Officials say without intervention, the baby would have died. They say Donat told them the baby would spit it up, but she fed him one ounce of formula about six times a day.

Hospital staff say they noticed Donat would not do overnight feedings, leaving it up to them while the baby was in the hospital.

Authorities say he was placed with a foster family and quickly started gaining weight. When he was brought in, officials say he weighed six pounds and six ounces. In a few weeks, they say he gained three pounds.

Deputies say Donat admitted to canceling a follow up appointment at the doctor to check his progress, prior to the roommate taking him to the hospital. They say she also admitted she should have done things differently.

Donat is being held on a $25,000 bond.