Baby Dies After Mother Falls Asleep While Breastfeeding; Mom Sentenced

A mother in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, has been sentenced after she pleaded guilty in connection to the death of her 3-month-old baby in November last year.

Evansville resident Briance Biggs, 21, pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent, WEHT reported.

The woman was sentenced to four years but was granted time served, according to the outlet. She will serve the rest of her sentence on probation as part of a plea agreement.

The charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in death was also dropped as part of the agreement.

Biggs told police that she fed her baby on the night of Nov. 26, 2020, and fell asleep with the infant laying on her arm, WFIE reported. She said she took medication prescribed to her for postpartum depression which made her groggy. The baby had died in the bed overnight, according to police.

Responders, including police officers and members of the Evansville Fire Department, had attempted to perform life-saving measures on the child when they were called to their home, but the child died despite their efforts.

An autopsy on the child did not show any signs of trauma but was indicative of suffocation.

Biggs was arrested following her child's death. The baby's father, who also present during the incident but left town a day after, did not face charges, WEHT earlier reported, citing court documents.

According to the documents, investigators were told that Biggs had been warned several times about sleeping on the same bed as her baby prior to the incident.

A similar incident happened over a year ago in Sarasota County, Florida, when a 5-month-old child died after her mother fell asleep while breastfeeding her.

The mother called 911 to her North Port residence at around 4 a.m. on March 3, 2020, after she woke up and discovered her child was not breathing. Emergency responders attempted to save the child, but she could not be revived.