Infant dies

A three-week-old infant girl was pronounced dead on arrival at Sabine Medical Center shortly before 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 28, according to Deputy Coroner Ron Rivers.

The mother, a 24-year-old Houma woman, and her child had traveled to Sabine Parish to stay with her father, Wade Chatagnier, who lives on Plainview Road. She told law enforcement personnel that she migrated north due to the upcoming bad weather in south Louisiana.

The infant, Lainey, was born on July 7 and was premature, but had no medical problems, according to information from the mother, Kattie Chatagnier.

The mother said that at approximately 2 a.m., her daughter woke up and began crying. She told detectives that she placed the infant on her chest. Sometime during the night, the infant rolled off her mother’s chest and onto the bed. The mother said she didn’t awaken until 6:25 a.m. because of fatigue from the trip north.

When she awoke, she discovered her daughter unresponsive.

An emergency 911 call was placed and MedExpress rushed to the scene. First responders were already at the scene administering CPR when the EMTs arrived. Life-saving techniques were continued from the outskirts of Florien to the emergency room even though the infant showed no signs of life.

Deputy Coroner Rivers ordered an autopsy to determine cause of death. There were no signs of external trauma, but lividity was present on the right sight of the face, which Rivers said would indicate layover or the infant being accidentally wedged between two objects. In investigation is open pending autopsy results.