Trial underway for Houston woman accused of poisoning baby girl

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The trial resumes Tuesday for a pediatric nurse charged with poisoning her own daughter with salt.

Investigators say Kelly Ripstra poisoned the toddler over the course of two years, sometimes using a feeding tube. The little girl ended up suffering brain damage because of it.

Detectives say doctors realized the toddler was being poisoned because she continued needing medical attention and each time she returned to the hospital, tests revealed she had extremely high levels of sodium in her system. At one point, the little girl was checked into ICU for three days.

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

The girl has been in foster care for the past two years but Ripstra's parental rights have not been terminated at this time. That will be determined at a later date.