Tearful Eagan dad testifies against baby sitter

An Eagan father wept Thursday as he told Dakota County jurors of handing over his screaming baby each workday morning to a baby sitter who's now on trial for breaking every limb, plus two ribs, of the 6-month-old girl.

The defense, however, pointed out that the baby was never checked for a childhood disease that can lead to fractures and mimic child abuse.

The father, Daniel Soppeland, 33, broke down throughout his testimony against his cousin, Laura Wilkinson, 31, also of Eagan.

She's charged with seven felony counts of malicious punishment of a child for 2009 injuries to Bailey Soppeland.

"Bailey would see Laura in the chair and would just start crying in my arms," Daniel Soppeland testified, sobbing.

Prosecutor Nicole Nee contends that Wilkinson has admitted handling the baby roughly and swinging her through the air "like a monkey."

Defense attorney Jeff Dean is arguing, however, that officials failed to test Bailey for rickets, which causes children's bones to soften and break.

"The hospital failed to do blood tests to determine if the baby had a metabolic disease which would make the baby's bones more susceptible to fractures. That is but one of the failures of the investigation."

Rickets is caused by a Vitamin D deficiency, and it's been linked to breast-feeding by mothers deficient in that vitamin. Bailey was breast-fed. There is no indication that the child has the disease, but because she has not been tested, it's also not certain that she doesn't.

The mother, Michelle Soppeland, had taken Bailey for a six-month wellness check on April 17, 2009, when a physician discovered that Bailey's leg was broken.

The parents brought Bailey to the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, where a cast was put on the leg, and her body was scanned.

In all, nine fractures were found in Bailey's wrist, ankle, legs, arms and ribs.

Daniel Soppeland told jurors that once Bailey was removed from Wilkinson's care, the fractures ended.

Her father testified that today, at nearly 2 years old, Bailey is a smart, happy and healthy toddler who loves to wrestle and rough-house with her older sister but has not broken any more bones since April 2009.