Parents charged after 3-year-old daughter found severely malnourished and suffering from extreme tooth decay

A couple in Kentucky, Cody Alfred and Jayda McDowell, both 32, are facing first-degree criminal child abuse charges after they neglected to feed their 3-year-old daughter solid foods, resulting in severe malnourishment and extensive dental decay.

The alarming case came to light when the child was brought to the Hopkins County Health Department for a WIC appointment on July 12. Staff quickly noticed that the little girl was in poor health and found that her hemoglobin levels were dangerously low.

They immediately instructed McDowell to take her to a pediatrician, who then had her transported by ambulance to the emergency room.

Upon admission to a children’s hospital, the child was found to have a rapid heart rate and was described as “chronically ill and malnourished.”

In addition to a blood transfusion, she required a dental consultation due to the severe decay and tartar buildup on her teeth. According to the criminal complaint, the girl’s diet had consisted solely of a gallon of milk a day from a bottle, with no solid foods included.

The investigation revealed further neglect, as the parents had failed to take their daughter to a doctor for a follow-up appointment regarding a hole in her heart, which was initially identified in 2021. They also missed a cardiology appointment in 2023.

Doctors were shocked by the state of the child’s teeth, noting, “The level of decay and tartar buildup was like nothing I’ve ever seen. The level of pain associated with trying to eat with teeth in condition would be unbearable.”

The couple had been repeatedly instructed—on five separate occasions—to take their daughter to a dentist, but these instructions were ignored.

Law enforcement officials stated that the parents’ neglect had “undoubtedly” placed the child in a situation where she could suffer “serious physical injury.”

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The child has since been placed in the custody of social services and is reportedly doing better. Meanwhile, Alfred and McDowell were taken into custody at the Hopkins County jail, where they are currently being held.