Mother fractured baby's skull by 'using him as a weapon'

A mother-of-five has been arrested over allegations she used her baby as a weapon to hit her boyfriend.

Police say Chytoria Graham told them she had been drinking and "snapped".

Authorities in Pennsylvania say she grabbed four-week-old Jarron by his feet and swung him, hitting her boyfriend and fracturing the baby's skull.

Jarron was last night in a serious but stable condition at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Police arrived at Graham and Troop's apartment in the early hours of October 8 to find broken household items, furniture knocked over and paramedics treating Jarron.

Graham told investigators she was out drinking the night before and argued with Troop when she got home. The argument turned to shoving and pushing.

As Jarron lay in bed wrapped in a blanket, police say, Graham grabbed the infant and swung him at Troop.

When Graham put the child down, they said, Troop punched her in the eye. Graham called an emergency operator.

Graham was remanded in custody, charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault and reckless endangerment.

Graham's other children, ranging in age from nine to one, are being cared for by their maternal grandmother, Gloria Graham.

Troop is the father of the one-year-old and Jarron.

Her lawyers say Graham, who is unemployed and lives with her boyfriend, 20-year-old Deangelo Troop, could be suffering from post natal depression, possibly even battered-woman syndrome.