A two-year-old Adelaide boy suffered 65 bruises to his body as his mother "just stood by" and failed to protect her son, a court has heard.
Kira Leanne McCallum was placed on a 12-month good-behaviour bond on Tuesday after pleading guilty to one count of criminal neglect.
It was not alleged the woman inflicted any of the child's injuries which came to light when he was finally taken to hospital with a head injury after a fall from a swing.
But McCallum was accused of failing to intervene and failing to provide her son with proper nourishment.
Passing sentence, District Court Judge Paul Slattery said she did not know what to do in respect to how her son was being disciplined.
"You just stood by," he said.
Judge Slattery said doctors reported the bruises on the boy's body were of various colours, suggesting they were inflicted at different times and were the result of repeated assaults.
He told McCallum her offending was serious and that she had failed to protect her own child from both physical and mental harm.
But he said she was also deeply ashamed and had taken steps to turn her life around.
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