Following the arrest of two women last week in separate incidents where they have been charged with neglect of a dependent, Jackson County Sheriff Rick Meyer and Prosecutor Jeff Chalfant are cautioning parents from sleeping in the same bed with their infants.
Ada Baldwin of Seymour and Hailey Martin, 25, of Seymour were each charged last Thursday with felony neglect of a dependent in Jackson Circuit Court.
In each case, according to the sheriff, the mother slept in a bed with her baby which resulted in the infant’s death. In each case, the mother of the infant had illegal drugs in her system at the time of her baby’s death. The pathologist listed the cause of death as either undetermined or as Sudden Unexplained Infant Death, Meyer said.
“Co-sleeping, or sleeping in a bed with a baby, is extremely dangerous,” said Meyer. “Babies do not have the strength to push themselves away from a sleeping adult, and as a result can suffocate.”
“Both of these mothers are now facing felony neglect charges due to co-sleeping with their babies,” said Chalfant. “Both had illegal drugs in their system which can interfere with judgment, and can prevent a person from awakening when a baby is struggling next to them.”
Both women were charged with non-fatal neglect of a dependent as the forensic pathologists could not determine the cause of death to have been asphyxiation.
“These tragic deaths were preventable,” said Meyer. “Please do not co-sleep with your infants.”
Ada Baldwin’s arrest stems from a Nov. 20, 2020 call of an unresponsive child in Freetown. Hailey Martin’s case began Jan. 18, 2021 in Hamilton Township.
