Mom Accidentally Poisons Child With Cough Meds; Researcher Sees Problem as Child Abuse
By COURTNEY HUTCHISON
ABC News Medical Unit
Giving a cranky child cough medicine to put him or her to sleep may not seem like child abuse, but it can be dangerous or even deadly for the child.
Parental misuse of cough medicine nearly killed one Texas infant recently, according to Amitava Dasgupta, a toxicologist called in to consult on the case. The infant came into Children's Memorial Hermann "in bad shape" and was taken directly to the intensive care unit and put on a ventilator, he said.
The mother gave the infant one dose of "cough medicine in the afternoon and one in the evening to put the baby to sleep so it wouldn't disturb them," Dasgupta said.
He suspected it was an occasional trick used by the mother. It was unclear whether the infant got an adult or pediatric dose.
"The baby became unresponsive ... and almost died from an overdose of dextromethorphan, a common ingredient in cough medicine," he said. "In this case, it was not an intentional overdose, it was lack of information."
It is never recommended to give cough medicine or pain killers to children under age two without asking a physician, but many young parents are not aware of that, said Dasgupta, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at University of Texas-Houston Medical School.
Sometimes, however, observers believe exasperated parents sedate children with prescription medication or illicit drugs so they "don't have to deal with a crying child," Dasgupta said. He believes it is pure child abuse and a criminal offense.
Read the full article on ABC News.
