Who was Erin Strotman: Nurse arrested for causing fractures in newborns at Virginia Hospital
A nurse in Virginia has been arrested after several newborns suffered serious fractures at a Richmond hospital, causing the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to close.
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| Nurse arrested after multiple newborns suffer fractures forcing Virginia NICU to shut down |
Erin Elizabeth Strotman, 26, was charged with malicious wounding and felony child abuse in connection with the incidents at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, Henrico County Police said on Friday. "The police are using all available resources to thoroughly investigate this matter," authorities stated.
The hospital has not commented on the charges or when the NICU will reopen as the investigation continues. Law enforcement said they are reviewing "dozens of videos from inside the NICU."
Detectives are also looking at cases from 2023 and 2024 as part of the investigation. The probe began after two Virginia parents were informed by Virginia Child Services that their newborn had been abused by an NICU employee.
The hospital mentioned a similar incident in the summer of 2023 and said an internal review was launched with the proper authorities and regulatory agencies. The hospital noted that while "fractures occasionally happen," the rate of injuries was concerning.
"Out of caution, we are not admitting any more babies into our NICU at this time," the hospital said. "Fractures can happen with preterm babies because they lack full bone development, but we are working to determine how these fractures occurred."
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| Preterm children are reportedly more susceptible to injury because they did not have enough time to form strong bones in the womb |
Preterm births, which happen before 37 weeks of pregnancy, have increased to 8.7% over the last three years. These babies are more prone to injuries because their bones are not fully developed. Certain medications used to treat complications from preterm births can also make their bones weaker and more susceptible to fractures. However, with gentle handling and supplemental calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus, these fractures typically heal well.
