Former pediatric nurse sentenced for poisoning daughter

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A former pediatric nurse has been sentenced for poisoning her own daughter with salt.

On Thursday, jurors found Katie Ripstra guilty of two counts of injury to a child/serious bodily injury. On Friday, they sentenced her to 20 years in prison. She faced up to life behind bars.

Ripstra had been a nurse at Texas Children's Hospital.

According to court documents, one time the child's sodium level was so high, she arrived at Texas Children's Hospital unconscious.

The girl, who was four years old at the time, ended up suffering brain damage. According to the district attorney's office, the girl is now living with foster parents and doing much better.