Amish women sentenced to probation Friday, illegally practicing medicine

Two Amish midwives have been sentenced to probation for illegally practicing medicine.

Sylvia Eicher and Lydiann Schwartz, both 73 years old, were charged with practicing medicine without a license Friday.

Eicher and Schwartz were arrested in May 2018, and faced two felony charges each of practicing medicine without a license and unlawful possession of a syringe.

Court records show a baby who died due to heart disease received care from Schwartz. The baby’s mother also reported Schwartz injected her with an IV to “speed up” the birth process. Records also show Schwartz allegedly performed a blood test on the baby after it was born.

Prosecutors also report Eicher gave steroid shots to a pregnant woman who later ended up in the hospital. Eicher later admitted to this to detectives.

Eicher and Shwartz were sentenced to two years probation Friday, and will no longer be allowed to practice medicine.