A newborn in Michigan City, Indiana, has died, and police say the baby’s mother neglected him. Abel Sampson was 9 weeks old when he reportedly died in April from starvation due to malnourishment. An investigation found that his mother Shianne Gramlin, 21, allegedly planned to take Abel to the pediatrician on April 9, to discuss putting him on formula, but sadly, they never made it.
According to WSBT, Gramlin allegedly had prior breastfeeding issues and claimed she’d never hurt her baby. Now, she’s in jail on felony neglect charges.
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Abel's weight reportedly dropped after birth.
WNDU reported that Abel weighed 9 pounds, 5.9 ounces at birth, but lost more than 3 pounds before his death. His parents reportedly found him blue and unresponsive around 9 a.m. on April 8, but Gramlin and the infant’s father, Malachi Sampson, didn’t get their son to the hospital until after 10 a.m. When he arrived, Abel weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces.
Gramlin reported having breastfeeding issues.
According to court documents WNDU obtained, Gramlin allegedly had issues with breastfeeding an older son and learned she had a deficiency in her breast milk. The mother apparently had a similar concern about Abel, and was supposed to take him to the doctor the day after he died to discuss formula options. She told investigators she didn’t want to make the transition without a doctor’s approval.
Gramlin claimed she did not intentionally hurt Abel.
Court documents revealed the mother admitted to investigators that she noticed that her son had lost weight, but she didn’t take him to a doctor or urgent care. Additionally, she told police she would never intentionally hurt her baby and didn’t realize breastfeeding him caused harm.
Sampson told investigators he tried to help.
The baby’s father told police he didn’t know how much weight their son had lost because Gramlin fed him “all the time.” Sampson allegedly asked her if she wanted him to buy formula on multiple occasions because she complained of breast pain from constant feeding. The mother reportedly declined his offers.
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Abel's death saddened his family.
According to his obituary, Abel leaves behind his parents, two brothers, grandparents, and several other family members who loved him. Family held his funeral on April 17. “Baby Abel will be sorely missed by all that knew him,” the obituary reads.
Gramlin’s jury trial will start on March 3, 2025. According to WSBT, if convicted, Gramlin faces 20 to 40 years in prison on a Level 1 felony charge.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child), or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
