Livonia Mom Charged In Death Of 6-Month-Old Son

LIVONIA (WWJ) - A Livonia woman is facing criminal charges in connection with her baby's accidental death last year.

According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's office, 32-year-old Leslie Gwen Neuman took the 6-month-old boy to bed with her on December 29, 2016, creating "an unsafe sleeping situation."

According to police, when Neuman awoke, the infant was unresponsive. "She had consumed alcohol and woke up to find the child wedged between the bed and the wall," Livonia Police Capt. Robert Nenciarini told the Detroit News.

CPR was unsuccessful, prosecutors said, and the child was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Following an investigation, Neuman was charged with involuntary Manslaughter and Child Abuse Second Degree. Bond was set at $100,000, 10 percent at an arraignment Monday in 16th District Court in Livonia, and a probable cause conference was scheduled for Sept. 28.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, approximately 3,500 infants die in the U.S. each year from sleep-related deaths, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and accidental suffocation. That number initially decreased in the 1990s after a national safe sleep campaign, but has plateaued in recent years.

AAP recommendations on creating a safe sleep environment for infants include:

• Place baby on his or her back on a firm sleep surface such as a crib or bassinet with a tight-fitting sheet.
• Avoid use of soft bedding, including crib bumpers, blankets, pillows and toys. The crib should be bare.
• Only bring your baby into your bed to feed or comfort.
• Never place your baby to sleep on a couch, sofa or armchair.
• Share a bedroom with parents, but not the same sleeping surface, preferably until the baby turns 1 but at least for the first six months. Room-sharing decreases the risk of SIDS by as much as 50 percent.

Learn more about safe sleeping from the AAP at this link.