Baby Hospitalized Caretaker Arrested

Baby hospitalized caretaker arrested Authorities determine child suffered from shaken baby syndrome January 24, 2006 By Brooke Vermillion [email protected] A caretaker at a local day care was arrested Friday after Pope County emergency personnel and Russellville police detectives learned a 5-month-old child had been diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome also known as SBS. Charles Wayne Myers, 37, who reportedly volunteered for Enchanted Child Care on Sunset Drive off of Marina Road, now faces charges of first-degree battery after District Judge Don Bourne found probable cause existed to detain Myers in a bond hearing Monday morning at the Pope County Detention Center in Russellville. Myers was ordered held in lieu of a $50,000 commercial bond. Russellville Police Detective David Virden testified in the hearing that on Jan. 17, Pope County EMS responded to the child-care center after receiving a call about a 5-month-old boy who was lethargic and having difficulty breathing. The infant was then transported to Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center and later air-lifted to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock for treatment. According to Virden, an examination at the hospital confirmed the infant had several fractured ribs, which were injuries that appeared to be two or three weeks old, and swelling and bruising on the brain — all of which indicated to child specialists the baby had been shaken. Virden said the infant’s mother had taken the baby to their family doctor during the weeks leading up to the child’s hospitalization, claiming the baby was in pain. But doctors reportedly believed the baby was suffering with regular stomach problems. On Monday morning, the baby underwent brain surgery in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and was listed in critical condition that afternoon. Upon investigating the incident, Virden said he discovered Myers was the only caretaker at the center who had been alone with the child during the time doctors believe the incident took place. Although the owner of the child care center would not comment about the situation or Myers’ status at the center, Virden said the owner was not present at the time of the incident. When Myers was questioned by investigators, he claimed he had administered CPR to the infant after noticing the baby was not breathing. Virden said Myers then admitted he “shook the child accidentally to get him to breathe” and confirmed the caretaker was trained in emergency child care. After verifying the infant’s medical condition this past Thursday, Virden said in the hearing, Myers was administered a polygraph test by the Arkansas State Police, which he ultimately failed. Polygraph results are not admissible in court proceedings. Myers was listed in 2002 as a suspect in connection with a similar incident in Pope County, but

was never charged. He has been ordered to appear in Pope County Circuit Court in the current case Feb. 27. First-degree battery is a Class B felony, punishable by 5-20 years in prison. Edie Deal, a senior investigator with the Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children Division, said within the past 10 years, this is potentially the third case of shaken baby syndrome in Pope County dealing with out-of-home offenders. Deal noted a specialist with the Child Care Licensing Unit of the Department of Health and Human Services has been notified and will address any issues concerning the status of the child care center. Shaken baby syndrome According to the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome Web site, thousands of children are injured or killed as a result of child abuse every year worldwide, and the most common cause for inflicted brain injury in the first two years of life is shaken baby syndrome. SBS is a form of child abuse in which the perpetrator shakes a child so violently the brain sustains significant injury. Information on the Web site also pointed out extensive studies have shown many of the medical characteristics of the syndrome are quite unique, and that diseases that might mimic SBS are few and easily recognizable.