A 32-year-old woman serving as a night nanny in Summit County was arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse following the hospitalization of a 6-week-old baby, the baby was suffering from severe brain injuries and symptoms consistent with shaken baby syndrome, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Lindsay Johnson, who had recently begun work in Utah at the start of the month, now faces serious criminal allegations as the authorities investigate the traumatic events leading up to the child's injuries.
Law enforcement responded to a situation at Primary Children's Hospital on Wednesday, where the infant had been admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit exhibiting signs of "non-accidental trauma," based on an affidavit that details the child's condition upon arrival and which KUTV reported was consistent with shaken baby syndrome, an affliction often characterized by brain damage due to violent shaking. As reported by KUTV, the baby had been under the care of only three individuals in the day leading up to the hospitalization, namely the child's mother, father, and Johnson, the night nanny.
Upon taking custody from Johnson that Wednesday morning, the parents encountered their child in a notably compromised state, the baby "was not responding appropriately and was found to be experiencing seizures," as obtained by FOX 13. The medical examination that followed revealed internal head trauma and a subsequent chest x-ray demonstrated the presence of a fractured rib, findings align with the hallmark indicators of shaken baby syndrome.
