A 24-year-old Clayton County woman was arrested after her child was taken to the hospital with severe malnourishment and medical personnel contacted the police, officials said.
Kreshunna Turner was taken into custody Tuesday at her home on one count of cruelty to children after an “extensive” investigation, Forest Park police spokeswoman Maj. Sandra Johnson said. The child’s father, 27-year-old Courtney Callahan, is also wanted on one count of cruelty to children.
The arrest warrants were issued against Turner and Callahan several days after the child was taken to the hospital June 2, Johnson said. The infant was admitted to the intensive care unit and hospital workers reported the case to police the same day.
No further information has been released about the incident, including any details about the child’s condition or age.
The case takes place at a time when the entire country is struggling with a baby formula shortage.
In late May, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta said an increase in child hospitalizations could be directly traced to the formula shortage, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. One of the main suppliers of baby formula in the United States, Abbott Nutrition, recently restarted its Michigan plant, which had been shut down due to safety and quality concerns since February. However, it could take weeks or months before baby formula begins to restock at major retailers.
When CHOA reported the increase in hospitalizations in May, the hospital system said their patients had all been treated and released. Forest Park police did not say if this recent case of malnourishment was related to the formula shortage.
Turner was booked Tuesday into the Clayton County Jail, where she is being held until her first appearance, Johnson said. Police are working to locate Callahan, who remains at large.
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