By james art 
A Wilmington woman has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of her two-month-old child.
Mackenzie Reed, 25, was sentenced to approximately 1.5 to 2.5 years in prison followed by four years of supervised probation by New Hanover County Superior Court Judge Ricardo Jensen last Thursday, according to a news release from the New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office .
In October 2023 an investigation by the Wilmington Police Department revealed that Reed smoked marijuana and ingested THC gummies before sleeping with her two-month-old son, according to the release. Reid has been advised by hospital staff and the Department of Social Services about the dangers of co-sleeping. Reid’s son died as a result of asphyxiation due to an unsafe sleeping environment, according to the medical examiner.
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Previous Coverage: Autopsy reveals details of Wilmington baby who suffocated after sleeping with mother
On October 3, 2023 officers from the Wilmington Police Department arrived in the 800 block of Castle Street for an unconscious infant who was not breathing, according to a previous release from Wilmington Police. First responders were unable to revive the baby.
Reed was arrested in March 2024. after an investigation and initially faced additional charges of intentional child abuse causing serious bodily injury and negligent child abuse causing serious bodily injury.
The report from the NC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner noted the previous unsafe sleep death of Reed’s three-month-old baby boy in 2022, stating “the mother … stated she could not believe she ‘did it in a split second.'”
Chief Donnie Williams of the Wilmington Police Department emphasized the dangers of co-sleeping after the sentencing.
“Co-sleeping is extremely dangerous and I want to urge parents to avoid sharing a bed with your toddler or baby. The risks of sudden unexpected infant death are real when an adult chooses to sleep next to their baby,” Williams said in the release.
This article originally appeared on the Wilmington StarNews: Woman pleads guilty in death of 2-month-old son in Wilmington, N.C.