A Pine Ridge Reservation woman who pleaded guilty last fall to charges in the death of her 5-month-old baby has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

31-year-old Kehuanna Poitra of Wanblee, SD, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of child abuse and neglect, with federal prosecutors dismissing a murder charge.

U.S. Attorney for South Dakota Brendan Johnson says when Poitra’s infant son was sent home from the hospital in 2011, she was was given strict instructions for his care including monitoring, medication, formula, and a specialized machine.

Johnson says Poitra failed to provide that care, which resulted in extreme malnourishment and dehydration, then failed to seek necessary medical attention when he eventually developed a fatal case of pneumonia in the summer of 2011.