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Mom Gets 30-Year Sentence After Giving Birth To Heroin Addicted Baby Who Died

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Baltimore mother who gave birth to a heroin addicted baby in an auto repair shop has been sentenced to prison after the newborn died nine days after she gave birth.

Anne Kirsch was sentenced to 75 years in prison, with all but 30 years suspended, for a 2017 bench trial of manslaughter and child abuse resulting in death.

According to a release from the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office, Kirsch gave birth to Matthew Kirsch Jr. on October 11, 2015, in the repair bay of an auto repair shop where she worked.

Paramedics were called to a local home nine days later, and found Kirsch Jr. unresponsive. He was taken to Sinai Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

During an investigation into the newborn's death, Kirsch reportedly admitted to using heroin during the early stages of her pregnancy, as well as the night before her newborn died.

The investigation found the child was likely born with a heroin addiction, and suffered "severe withdrawal symptoms and physical pain."

Matthew never received medical attention, and the medical examiner found that he was only fed "sporadically" during the nine days he was alive.

The medical examiner ruled the child's death a homicide caused by both abuse and neglect, and found the newborn had blunt force trauma that was consistent with the newborn's head being slammed against a flat surface.

Matthew's stomach content was empty except for gastric fluid at the time of his death.

Kirsch's husband, Matthew Kirsch Sr., pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death.

He was sentenced to 25 years behind bars, with all but 15 years suspended, for his failure to take the child in for medical care after the child was born.

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