Doctors (toxicologists in particular) have a list of drugs that we refer to as “one pill can kill” – things like diabetes drugs (lower blood sugar) and some blood pressure medications that can kill a kid with one dose. Opioid narcotics are on that list because if an idiot (like this Australian moron) gives a 2 month old baby a dose of oxycontin, and that baby has never had oxycontin or any other opioid before, that baby will stop breathing and will die. That’s almost what happened to this baby. Fortunately, someone recognized that the baby was in trouble and called 000 (Australian equivalent of 911). The baby was rescued from the house where stupid lives and was cared for in the hospital. The best part of the story is the reason given for the poisoning – the father gave the kid oxycontin because he wanted the kid to go to sleep so he could “resume a hobby.” Who wants to guess what that hobby might be? My guess is it has something to do with dragons and video games, or possibly needles, cookers and spoons. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t dabbling in differential calculus.
Older pediatricians used to prescribe small doses of liquid phenobarbital for mothers to give their screaming, colicky kids to put them to sleep and thats different, I think. Older pediatricians were smart and had common sense and could recognize a mother who was on the edge and needed to sleep herself or perhaps might become violent or depressed having to deal with a difficult infant. The pediatrician would carefully calculate an appropriate dose that would sedate the infant but not poison them.
My mom used to dip her finger in a glass of whiskey (Midleton Very Rare) and rub it on our gums when we were acting up and she needed some rest. Didn’t do me any harm. Could explain a lot, though…
Poison Baby approved
