Doctor charged in Ohio teen's malnutrition death Dayton
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Dr Margaret Edwards has been charged with failing to report neglect or abuse in the death of a 14-year-old girl who had cerebral palsy, and weighed only 28 pounds when she died in Southwest Ohio, The AP reports.
Dr Edwards was Makayla Norman's doctor from July 10 until the girl's death March 1, 2011. Norman died from nutritional and medical negligence which further complicated her chronic condition, Fox News Reports.
"As with the other defendants, this defendant utterly ignored her responsibilities and failed to reports the obvious signs of neglect of Makayla," Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck, Jr told the Dayton Daily News.
Earlier this year, Makayla's mother pleaded guilty in her daughter's malnutrition death. According to The Guardian, Angela Norman, 42, pleaded guilty to a first-degree felony count of involuntary manslaughter. She also pleaded to misdemeanor and felony counts of child endangerment.
At the time of her death, Makayla weighed 28 pounds and her body was dirty and covered in bed sores, the Dayton Daily News reports. She had lice in her hair and eyebrows, and her diaper and colon were filled with feces. Due to the cerebral palsy, Makayla could not speak, move, or feed herself.
According to The AP, Angela Norman was sentenced to 9 years in prison.
Prosecutors also claim that Makayla was abandoned by 3 nurses who were supposed to care for her. The nurses have pleased not guilty to all charges. Their trials are set to begin September 24.
Dr. Edwards has declined to comment on Thursday's charges.
Her medical license is still active, the Dayton Daily News reports, but State Board of Ohio officials will be watching the case closely.
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