A woman running a day care centre in Iowa has been charged in the death of a 3-year-old girl who she ‘threw to the ground’ because she refused to take off her coat, The Daily Mail reports.

The Orange City toddler, Autumn Elgersma, daughter of Phillip and Jennifer Elgersma, died on Thursday from her head injuries after two days in hospital.

The child was injured in the home of Rochelle Lynn Sapp, 33, who runs a day care centre at her home in 706 10th Street SE, in eastern Orange City, according to police.

Court documents say Sapp called the girl’s mother shortly after 9am and told her Autumn had fallen down the stairs.

Mrs Elgersma picked up her daughter immediately and brought her to the Orange City hospital where she was diagnosed with a head injury.

The girl was airlifted to the Sanford Children's Hospital in Sioux Falls in North Dakota where doctors discovered the child suffered a fractured skull and brain trauma. She died two days later.

According to Orange City Police Chief, Jim Pottebaum, Sapp later admitted that she threw the girl to the floor after she refused to take off her coat.

Sapp was originally charged with Willful Injury and Child Endangerment Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.

Chief Pottebaum said those charges will be amended because of the child's death.