An Iowa woman, Alexandra Marie Frost, age 27, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on August 29 for injecting her 2-year-old son with insulin, which made him seriously ill.
Frost pleaded guilty in June to charges of child endangerment resulting in bodily injury and administering harmful substances, according to the Johnson County Attorney’s Office.
The case emerged in March 2023 when Frost took her child to the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Medical staff noticed that the boy had dangerously low blood sugar levels that required immediate treatment, including glucose administration. Further tests revealed that his insulin levels were excessively high.
As health officials investigated, they found signs that suggested possible Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a condition where a caregiver fabricates or induces medical issues in someone else.
On March 13, hospital staff set up a camera in the child’s room, and the next day, footage appeared to show Frost injecting her son in the foot with a syringe. According to the warrant, after the injection, the child became agitated and screamed in pain, which raised further concerns.
Medical personnel informed authorities that such insulin injections could lead to severe health problems, even death. Notably, Frost was the only person regularly caring for her son at the hospital.
After the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services took custody of the boy, his glucose levels stabilized, showing no more issues.
