ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 6 (UPI) -- A midwife will lose her career in Virginia after admitting charges stemming from the death of a baby she delivered last year.
Karen Carr, 44, of Baltimore pleaded guilty Thursday in an Alexandria, Va., court to child endangerment and performing an invasive procedure without a license, The Washington Post reported. Her plea acknowledges she was not licensed and the baby's death Sept. 11 resulted from her negligence.
Carr, originally charged with involuntary manslaughter and child abuse, was sentenced to four years on each count but had all but five days suspended. She also was fined $5,000 and ordered to repay the $3,200 she charged the parents.
Prosecutors said Carr agreed to perform a high-risk breech delivery in the Alexandria home after others refused, and ignored signs of trouble.
Authorities said she let the baby boy get his head trapped in the birth canal for 20 minutes and then tried to resuscitate him for 13 minutes before calling for help. The infant never showed brain activity and was taken off life support at a Washington children's hospital two days later.
Court papers state Carr told the boy's mother she had performed 40 to 50 at-home breech births successfully.
