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Woman Accused Of Smothering Baby On Trial

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The woman accused of smothering her 4-month-old baby repeatedly was ordered to stand trial on charges Wednesday.

Rachel Nelson is charged with smothering the boy often till he was nearly limp, as a 4-month-old, then resuscitating him.

It was discovered when the child was taken to Children's Hospital for what was then an unknown illness.

Police testified Wednesday that she at first claimed she discovered the baby had turned blue and wasn't breathing only after she blacked out.

But Nelson later admitted she did not black out and would hold the baby and squeeze him till he turned limp.

A Children's Hospital physician testified that hospital personnel were puzzled by the boy's breathing problems. They then discovered the problem only happened when the baby was in the sole custody of his mother.

The hearing was originally scheduled for November, but was postponed because the doctor who wrote the initial report was not available.

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