Dashana Oldham (IMPD photo)

An Indianapolis woman is behind bars after allegedly choking her 15-month-old son in a hospital.

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Court documents say the son of 20-year-old Dashana Oldham was taken to St. Vincent Hospital after suffering an episode where he became limp, unresponsive and his fingers, toes and lips turned blue. Doctors put the boy on a video EEG to monitor his syptoms two days later.  On the video, doctors found Oldham placing her hand over the boy's throat, depriving him of oxygen.  Police say Oldham choked her son eight times in a period of an hour and twenty minutes.  

Oldham told police she was not trying to kill her son.  She said she only placed her thumb on the boy's throat twice to try and force another episode to show the doctors what her son was going through at home.  Police say the video shows Oldham using her hand on her son's throat and later placing a blanket over her hand to conceal what she was doing.

Oldham said her son had multiple similar episodes dating back to June of this year, one of which sent him to Riley Hospital for Children.  He was later released after doctors diagnosed him with "breath holding spells."  The boy was taken back to Riley in July and underwent numerous tests.  During that time, he suffered three or four more episodes while in the hospital but was released after doctors couldn't find a cause of the problem.  He had three more episodes on September 23, 25 and 27 when he was brought to St. Vincent.

Oldham was arrested and faces eight charges of aggravated battery and eight charges of neglect of a dependant.