A TEENAGE couple are facing jail after their one-year-old son was bitten on the face – and they failed to seek medical help.

The 18-year-old Edenbridge mother and 17-year-old Tonbridge father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to exposing their son to assault and failing to provide medical help at Sittingbourne Magistrates' Court on Monday.

The baby is now living in care.

The couple were due to stand trial for five days after pleading not guilty at an earlier hearing, but they changed their minds at the last minute.

The court heard that on the weekend of January 23 to 25, 2009, the father, said to have the mental age of a 10-year-old, and a friend visited the mother's Southborough home to stay.

The visit was "routine" in that it happened most weekends, but the court heard events took a turn for the worse as the hours wore on.

The baby ended up with an adult bite mark on one cheek and three scratches on the opposite side.

James Dick, prosecuting, said: "Deliberate injuries were caused to the one-year-old baby that weekend.

"None of the three 'adults' say they saw any of the other two causing the injuries, and so we are unable to say for certain who caused them.

"But on the 27th a student social worker paid a routine visit to the mother, who was under supervision because of her young age.

"She noticed injuries to both sides of his face and alerted the police.

"The same day another social worker and police officer went to the father's Tonbridge address where they found the three 'adults'.

"The human bite mark on the right cheek was not self-inflicted.

"But forensic tests, after taking dental imprints, were unable to say which of the three 'adults' did it."

Mr Dick said there were three marks on the other cheek and three doctors could not agree how they had happened.

But they did say they were "not accidental" and "would have been painful to the baby".

"One doctor said the injuries were most likely scratches by someone's nails, probably by turning his head in anger immediately before the bite," he added.

Mr Dick said the case against the mother was "a matter of logic" as she must have known an injury had been caused to her baby sometime that weekend.

But the court heard she did not report it to the police or social services, and when questioned she gave several misleading accounts about how they happened.

"We say medical attention should have been sought. As it turned out it didn't require treatment but there could have been unseen injuries and he should have been to see a doctor," added Mr Dick.

The father was consistent in his version of events in denying hurting his son, and told investigators he did not have much involvement, only helping out "from time to time".

The court also heard the child is currently in the care of a foster parent, pending the decision of a family court as to where he will live, which is having a fact-finding hearing next week.

District Judge Michael Kelly said the defendants faced a possible jail term.

Both pleaded guilty to exposing him to assault or ill-treatment and failing to provide medical aid.

The were released until March 25 on unconditional bail. The case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports at Maidstone Magistrates' Court.