Mother pleads not guilty to starving baby

APPLETON, Wis. (AP) — An Appleton woman accused, along with her husband, of starving her young daughter has pleaded not guilty to felony child neglect.

Prosecutors allege Mary Sultze and her husband, Christopher Sultze were worried their baby would become obese and starved the girl for months, causing her to gain just 5 pounds in the 14 months after her birth. A criminal complaint says a doctor told police the girl would have to weigh 22 pounds to even appear on the growth charts for her age,

WLUK-TV says Sultze’s trial is scheduled to begin in Outagamie County March 13. The child’s father was also pleaded not guilty to the felony. The couple was ordered to have no contact with the child.