A baby in South Carolina is dead after being poisoned by a teaspoon of salt.
A baby in South Carolina died Wednesday after her mother allegedly poisoned her with salt in an effort to get the attention of the child's father.
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The child’s mom, Kimberly Nicole Martines, 23, was charged with homicide by child abuse after she allegedly fed 17-month-old Peyton a teaspoon of salt, according to a police report and arrest warrant obtained by InsideEdition.com.
She faces up to 20 years in prison if she’s convicted.
Murray Glenn, a spokesman for the solicitor’s office, told InsideEdition.com that Martines has not yet entered a plea.
“It’s a pending court case, and we look forward to resolving the matter in court,” Glenn said of the court case, adding that he was unable to offer details on a pending court case.
Martines had reportedly tried to win back the baby’s dad by giving little Peyton the salt. Martines and the father are separated.
During a hearing in Spartanburg Magistrate Court on Wednesday, Solicitor Barry Barnette said that Martines "fed her child a teaspoon of salt, then had her follow through with a drink after that. She basically did that to try and get her husband’s attention – to get him back into her life."
Martines woke up when she heard Peyton screaming, according to an incident report. She said the baby was hot and seemed be suffering from seizures.
The baby was taken to the hospital on July 31, and had acute intoxication of salt. Her sodium levels revealed signs of salt poisoning, according to medical staff.
Peyton’s pediatrician was worried about her health back in November 2015. She referred the mother to a GI doctor and BabyNet. Martines never showed up for her appointments, according to the incident report.
The baby's twin sister and second sibling are in protective custody, according to deputies.
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