DA: Berks County mom charged with child neglect after infant found to be 'skin and bones'

(FOX 29) - Authorities say a Berks County mother has been charged with child neglect after her infant daughter was discovered to be "skin and bones," in the words of her doctor.

Ashley Elizabeth Sterner, 29, of Leesport, was charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children and related offenses.

The Berks County District Attorney's office says Sterner failed to take her daughter to any of her scheduled medical appointments from Oct. 24, 2018, through Jan. 4, 2019.

When Sterner brought her daughter to a pediatrician on Jan. 4, she was told to take the baby to the hospital immediately. The infant was admitted to the hospital weighing approximately 5 pounds, 14 ounces. When she was born in mid-October, she weighed approximately 6 pounds, 4 ounces.

The attending physician at the hospital referred to the baby's case as "one of the worst she has ever seen."

According to the attending physician, the infant would not have survived without medical intervention, having lost weight to the point where her head was no longer growing.

After spending 10 days in the hospital, the infant was medically discharged, weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces. She has since been placed in foster care.

Sterner was released from custody on $25,000 unsecured bail pending a preliminary hearing.