Trial set in meth exposure case

SANDPOINT — A Sagle woman accused of addicting her unborn son to methamphetamine in utero pleaded not guilty to felony injury to a child.

Nichole Dawn Maki Bowman’s plea sets the stage for a three-day jury trial in 1st District Court. Bowman is free on her own recognizance while the case is pending, court records show.

Bowman, 28, was charged shortly after the birth of her son on Dec. 29, 2015. The child exhibited symptoms of withdrawal from the central nervous system stimulant, including decreased sleep, hyperthermia, hyperactivity and increased respiration, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Bonner County sheriff’s investigations questioned Bowman about the presence of narcotics in the child’s system, the affidavit said. Bowman admitted using a concentrated form of cannabis during her pregnancy, but said she abstained from meth after discovering she was pregnant.

Bowman, however, admitted using the notoriously addictive stimulant a half-dozen times during her pregnancy when investigators advised her blood from the her umbilical cord was being screened for narcotics, the affidavit said.

The analysis of the cord blood confirmed the presence of amphetamine, methamphetamine and THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

Bowman is the third Bonner County mother this year to be prosecuted for placing her baby in harm’s way by exposing them to meth.

One child died, although it could not be conclusively determined that drug exposure caused the child’s death, according to court documents.