Cedar Rapids woman pleads to child endangerment for giving her toddler unwarranted insulin

IOWA CITY — A Cedar Rapids woman pleaded Monday to charges of child endangerment for injecting her 2-year-old son with insulin that affected his glucose levels, causing him to become sick.

Alexandra Marie Frost, 26, filed her written guilty plea to child endangerment resulting in bodily injury, and administering harmful substances, both Class D felonies, in Johnson County District Court.

She faces up to 10 years in prison. She was originally charged with child endangerment causing serious injury, a Class C felony.

Frost will ask a judge for a suspended sentence and probation and First Assistant Johnson County Attorney Susie Nehring will ask for a 10-year prison term.

Frost’s son was taken to University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital on March 13, 2023 for multiple medical issues, according to a criminal complaint. The child had low blood sugar levels that required he be given glucose. Lab results indicated his insulin levels were “very high.”

The toddler’s glucose levels would repeatedly drop and then stabilize, according to a search warrant affidavit. The drop in levels “appeared to be anomalies” leading doctors to believe it was caused by medical child abuse, formerly known as Munchhausen syndrome by proxy — where a caregiver causes an illness or injury.

On March 14, the medical staff activated a video camera in the child’s room to find out why he was having medical issues, the affidavit stated. The video footage showed Frost going into the bathroom of the room and returning with what appeared to be a syringe. Frost then injected the syringe into her son’s foot. She then walked over to the “sharps” container and disposed of the syringe, according to the court document.

The video showed the toddler was calm before being injected by his mother but then became agitated and screamed as if he was in pain after receiving the injection. Frost was the only person who was with the child on a consistent basis while he was at the hospital, the complaint stated.

Medical staff told investigators that injecting insulin will lower a person’s glucose levels, which can cause serious health issues, including death, according to the court document. A UIHC endocrinologist told police the only reason for the toddler’s drops and stabilization of his glucose levels would be due to an “external” — not hospital staff — injection of insulin. The doctor confirmed the child did not have a medical issue that required insulin.

An officer took a photo of a small prick or injection site on the child’s foot that wasn’t bandaged, the affidavit stated. The toddler’s nurse said they don’t give injections on the top of a patient’s foot, only on the bottom of the foot and it would be bandaged afterward.

The 2-year-old was removed from Frost’s custody by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and he didn’t have further issues with his blood sugar or insulin levels, according to court documents.

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