What began as unexplained injuries in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has become a criminal case, as the former Virginia NICU nurse Erin Strotman now awaits sentencing for felony charges of child abuse.
Authorities initially brought a total of 20 criminal charges against Strotman. She pleaded no contest to charges of child abuse involving physical harm to 9 newborns while working on the staff in the NICU at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital.
By entering a no contest plea, she agreed to terms set by prosecutors: her nursing career ends permanently, along with any role involving children or vulnerable adults.
Her sentence will be given in June 2026, allowing the family members of the victims time to testify.
Mysterious injured babies in 2023
The first investigation began in 2023, when 4 newborns were found to have fractured bones and signs of bruising. An internal investigation was conducted, and Strotman was put on leave, but no criminal charges were filed.
Additional cases reported in 2024
In September 2024, Erin Strotman was allowed to return to work after completing a mandatory child abuse awareness training (required of all staff).
However, more cases involving injured babies were reported when Strotman went back to work. Later investigations reportedly revealed that no injuries were reported or recorded when she was not on duty. After she returned, other similar baby fractures were found.
Investigators cite concerning conduct in video of infant care
A second investigation involving infant abuse was opened in response to a video from November 2024 of Strotman caring for a baby, which showed concerning behavior.
After the initial video was found, more concerning videos of Strotman were discovered. Her actions in many of the videos with babies were considered dangerous and inconsistent with accepted standards of nursing care.
In a summary of facts discussing the observed buckle fractures of the radius and ulna, Robin Foster, MD, a board-certified Child Abuse Pediatrician, explained a professional opinion of how the injuries would have occurred:
“Someone would have to push in and put compression force on the arm for the radius to buckle the way it did. Also, a buckle fracture could have happened if the child was on a flat surface and was being pressed forcefully down into the mattress of the isolette, like if a full-sized adult transferred all her weight onto one of the extremities.”
Dr. Foster stated that the actions observed in the video were consistent with the type of injuries documented.
Strotman’s defense and version of facts
Erin Strotman's defense said that the fractures could have happened with any healthcare professional, due to the newborn’s susceptibility to injury by having fragile bones. They also added that she treated all her patients the same way during her time as a NICU nurse.
She reinforced that, as her care happened in front of other professionals and she was trained correctly, if there were concerns over the way she handled the babies, someone would have acted immediately.
“I just, I don't have words. I've been practicing the same; I've been doing the same stuff for the past two years at that hospital in the NICU. And uh, like I can't even count how many countless people have watched me. So I'm like, if somebody had seen something that was concerning, I feel like they wouldn't just let it go. They wouldn't just let me treat a baby in a bad way…" — Erin Strotman
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