Dexter, Mo., woman charged with child abuse

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Dexter, Mo., woman is behind bars and a 6-month-old baby injured after an August incident.

Megan Kirby has been charged with abuse of a child and endangering the welfare of a child. The crimes carry a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

At 3 p.m. Aug. 21, Dexter police Det. Cory Mills was contacted by the Missouri Department of Social Services Children's Division regarding a child abuse report.

A 6-month-old child was reportedly being treated at St. Louis Children's Hospital for bleeding on the brain. She was first taken to Southeast Health Center in Dexter.

On the previous morning, the child's mother, Kirby, stated she observed her child stiff and shaking via a baby monitor. At that time, she allegedly called 911.

On Aug. 21, the hospital confirmed the child was being treated for a "small subdural hemorrhage." Dr. Adrienne Atzemis, who was treating the child, said the injury is consistent with Shaken Baby Syndrome.

The child also had multiple healing fractures, also consistent with abuse.

In speaking to officials, Kirby denied any history of falls or drops to the hospital and described two injuries: one from the child hitting its head on wooden slats in a crib, resulting in a facial bruise, and one in which the child's arm was caught in the crib, resulting in bruising.

Kirby said the child woke at 5:30 a.m. Aug. 20, was given a bottle and then taken back to bed. Kirby then noticed a weird sound on the monitor. She saw the baby shaking extensively and vomiting "a large amount."

When Kirby reached the room, the child was limp, but warm. She did two rescue breaths and started having a panic attack, she told officers.

She rushed to a neighbor's house and pounded on the door, but by then the child was cold and not breathing.

The neighbor began CPR while another called 911.

Kirby denied shaking the baby in an effort to revive her and said she is aware of the dangers of shaking a baby.

The child's father said he assumed the baby had hit its head on the side of the crib and denied seeing any bumps or bruises. He said he was working in Sikeston, Mo., at the time of the incident.

In a later interview with Missouri State Highway Patrol authorities, Kirby's statement was "mostly consistent" with her interview given to medical professionals, but she did admit to shaking the child.

She said when she found the child not breathing, she shook her hard enough to make her head go back and forth. She also admitted to having lied to medical personnel.

The child's father said he was unaware Kirby had shaken the child and could not provide an explanation for her injuries.

On Aug. 22, the couple agreed to be interviewed at the Dexter Police Department. Kirby described the child as generally healthy, but said that at 2 months old the child had stopped breathing. There apparently were no subsequent health problems.

Kirby told officers that 30 minutes after her husband had left for work on the night of the most recent incident, she went to feed the baby and noticed "puffiness and redness" on the child's neck. When she got up to feed the child at 5:50 a.m., the puffiness was gone.

Kirby returned to bed and watched the child on the monitor, when she heard a belching sound and watched the child's left arm stay stiff along the body while the right arm went stiff above the head.

The child then vomited on the wall.

When Kirby couldn't revive the child with her breaths, she held her around the chest and then shook her hard twice.

Kirby denied abusing the child, but offered no reasonable explanation for the injuries.

In an attached medical affidavit from Aztemis detailing the child's injuries, she stated she has "reasonable cause to suspect [the child] is the victim of child maltreatment, abusive head trauma and physical abuse. [The child] would be at high risk for future serious injury or death if returned to the environment in which these injuries occurred."

Kirby's bond is set at $500,000 cash-only. She was to appear for arraignment Thursday before Judge Joe Z. Satterfield.