Lethal infant overdoses in spotlight - giving medicines to children without permission.

MSNBC ^ | 09/02/03 | Staff Writer

[bedolido]

BARTOW, Fla., Sept. 2 — Paula Burcham ran the kind of day care working mothers dream about.Her house was immaculate, the meals for the children were home cooked. Kids would line up to get a hug from “Mama Paula.”

BUT THE FAMILIES who trusted Burcham didn’t know she was giving over-the-counter medicines to their children without their permission. Now they suspect she was using the drugs to sedate cranky little ones.

On August 15, Burcham was sentenced to eight years in prison for giving a 3 1/2-month-old girl a lethal dose of Benadryl to quiet her. And in the 20 months since Grace Olivia Fields’ death, her parents have found they are not alone in their loss.

In the last three years, at least 10 other cases nationwide of day care workers have been investigated or charged for sedating children with cold medicines and cough syrups. Four other babies have died.

Grace’s mother, Tracy Fields, and other parents are now pushing for new laws that would make it a felony for day care workers to give a child medicine without written permission from a parent or a doctor’s order. One state has already passed such a law.

“I don’t want any other parents to go through this,” Tracy Fields said. “It didn’t take a whole lot for this beautiful little baby to die from an over-the-counter medicine.”

There is also a growing movement among medical examiners for greater awareness of the practice, as some pathologists fear babies who died after being drugged were written off as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome cases.

Burcham poured about a tablespoon of children’s Benadryl into a four-ounce bottle of breast milk and fed it to Grace in December 2001. The dose was three times more than what would be needed to sedate an adult.

Burcham later admitted giving the baby the drug, but denied it was to control behavior. Her critics aren’t swayed.

“She found a way to make those kids sleep half the day,” Tracy Fields said, adding her 2 1/2-year-old daughter told her she was given “bubble gum” flavored medicine before nap time at Burcham’s.

[Mears]

I can't imagine that we would need a law for something like this.

I wouldn't even give my grandchildren any medication without checking with the parents.

[MEG33]

I can't imagine not knowing that this is dangerous.What a tragic loss for the parents.

[Born Conservative]

Burcham poured about a tablespoon of children’s Benadryl into a four-ounce bottle of breast milk and fed it to Grace

1 tablespoon=37.5 mg of Benadryl. If the child weighed 10 lbs, the proper dose for that wt would be roughly 5 mg. This child received more than 7 times the recommended dose.

[netmilsmom]

While I was watching children in my home, by chance, I caught one of the mothers Benedryling her baby before bringing her in. I had told the mother that because I was pregnant, the other mother was pregnant and I was also watching a two year old along with my own two year old, that she could not bring this child in with a cold. She HAD to go to work because she had taken Friday off to shop with friends. Had that baby been overmedicated (pouring and estimating the dose in a car, rushed), I would have been blamed.
Then people wonder why I think kids should be with their parents only. It goes both ways.

[Dems_R_Losers]

When my kids were in daycare, the center required parental permission for administering medication and required the parents to bring it in. This was even for Tylenol and Anbesol for teething! They required a doctor's note for anything stronger than Tylenol. And they kept all medicines locked up at all times. Most licensed daycare providers are required to do this under state and local licensing rules. Just one more reason parents should make sure their daycare provider is licensed.

I take Benadryl as a sleep aid, and I know it is powerful stuff. I won't give it to my 10-year-old or 6-year-old yet. Anyone who would give this stuff to an infant is a criminal.

[Orange1998]

"Burcham poured about a tablespoon of children’s Benadryl" It said Childrens Benadryl so I assume she thought it was not dangerous. The child did not need any Benadryl and the caregiver should be punished but I don't think she intended to harm the child.

[MEG33]

She obviously didn't read instructions.It was a little baby.

[xzins]

I'm not sure that 10 infant deaths and a few irresponsible babysitters should result in a new national law. And if the lady in question was sentenced to 8 years for her negligence, what kind of new law is really needed?

Who's driving this train?

[Sabatier]

Why do parents think that some stranger is going to do a better job of caregiving then the parents would do themselves? Being a good parent means resigning yourself to the fact that your life is not your own and you're going to have to pay attention real closely to your kids. Ain't no shortcuts there.

[Dianna]

Just one more reason parents should make sure their daycare provider is licensed.

I see what you mean, but many day care centers do things against the rules. (Go look at the ratios during nap time when teachers are taking lunch breaks.) If you must use a provider, choose someone who isn't a moron or casual about a baby's safety.

[The G Man]

"Burcham poured about a tablespoon of children’s Benadryl into a four-ounce bottle of breast milk and fed it to Grace in December 2001. The dose was three times more than what would be needed to sedate an adult."

Sorry. A tablespoon is NOT 3 times more than the amt needed to "sedate an adult." What crappy reporting. A 50 pound child is supposed to take 2 tsp which equals 2/3 of a tablespoon

And while I feel terrible for these parents, 3 deaths a year warrants new laws???

[Fee]

Amen

[Orange1998]

Instructions had nothing to do with this childs death. The child should have never been administered. It's sad that a small child loss its life for someones stupid mistake. One should never give medicine (even if it says children on the box) to a child without doctors permission.

I am looking at the back of Benadryl box and nowhere does it say it may cause death. I don't think this caregiver intended on harming the child. But what she did was inexcusiable.

[wafflehouse]

bookmark

[netmilsmom]

>>I see what you mean, but many day care centers do things against the rules. (Go look at the ratios during nap time when teachers are taking lunch breaks.) If you must use a provider, choose someone who isn't a moron or casual about a baby's safety<<

In reading the first part of the article, one would assume that she was not a moron nor was casual about a baby's safety.
How does one tell?

[MEG33]

I agree!I just meant that at least reading directions might have prevented her giving such a dose to a baby.

[netmilsmom]

Pinging you to see this tragedy.

[b9]

The best gift my folks gave us was themselves.
We were nowhere near rich, but mom was resourceful and a very creative artist. Out of paint one time, she used white shoe polish and food coloring!

In turn, my husband and I chose to be our kids' parents and believe me, having an at-home business was lonely...stay-at-home non-working moms saw me as too busy to socialize (which I was) and 'working' moms who chose day care saw me as unprofessional.

But now our kids are grown, and thank us for the sacrifice, and are both confidant entrepreneurs themselves.

No one will ever be as invested as a child's own parents.

I feel so sad for little ones in daycare (and their parents) who don't even know what they're missing.

[shhrubbery!]

Being a good parent means resigning yourself to the fact that your life is not your own and you're going to have to pay attention real closely to your kids. Ain't no shortcuts there.

BINGO!!!

The more people who grow up and realize this, the better.