Pair Too Drunk To Notice Baby's SIDS Death

(AP)  A Pennsylvania couple will stand trial on child endangerment charges because state police said they were too drunk and high to notice their 2-month-old daughter was dying from sudden infant death syndrome.

Thirty-year-olds Jennifer Gaster and Daniel Martin II are accused of snorting cocaine and drinking alcohol the night before they found the baby's dead. Gaster had breast-fed the child in a recliner in the couple's home in Luzerne Township, about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh, and awoke June 6 with the baby unresponsive.

A defense attorney said tests will show the child didn't have drugs or alcohol in her system, meaning Gaster wasn't intoxicated.

Witnesses at a preliminary hearing Monday said the couple drank heavily and used cocaine.

[toldyouso29]

This is an irresponsible case. If the parents had been sober, they still could have done nothing and unless toxicology results support it, 'witnesses' who said the two were using drugs is just hearsay. when the smoke clears--can anyone say that those two should sue for malicious prosecution, including pain and suffering. Whatever happened to common sense?

[goaliedad56]

Lost my son to SIDS over 20 years ago. I still have a hole in my heart.

If this was SIDS, there was nothing that could have been done. If they were using illegal drugs, etc, then they should be prosecuted for that.

My heart goes out to them and all SIDS parents.
Posted by drputt45 at 1:52 PM : Apr 14, 2009

I could not have said it much better myself. You can blame the parents for many things. Stupidity - Yes, Illegal use of drugs - Yes, but I don't see child endangerment if this was truly SIDS. There is nothing the parents could have done about it? WHAT A BS STORY!!

[grier_allie101]

well to start off i lost my little girl of sids almost 2 years ago and reading this makes me feel so bad for that mother and father yeah he and she may have been doing drugs and no i dont agree with that but thats then now them being to drunk and high yeah that screwed up!!!but there is no way of knowing you are losing your baby i lost mine and i didnt know it untill morning no signs healthy baby and all so this is reported all wrong instead of all these drug classes aa and bullcrap why dont they fund a sids research nope they are woried about the drunk it stated they drank heavy and did drugs well why was this baby in that if people already knew what they where doing someone should have steped out and took that baby and give it a better life and no i dont agree with this being sids and as a matter of fact its making everyone who reallly lost there baby of sids look like crap!!!

[andie52]

SIDS is determined only after an autopsy, an examination of the death scene, and a review of the clinical history, This one doesn't look like a SIDS death

[andie52]

How can they determine what killed this baby without an autopsy? Chances are since the mother was so heavily into cocaine and alcohol that her breast milk was tainted and the baby died from nursing.

Here is another infant who died

The young couple's dead baby measured 25.5 inches and weighed 14 pounds, the pathologist noted for the record, and hadn't a mark on him.


What killed Devin Montelius at age four months was the cocaine he had ingested, the Orleans Parish Coroner's Office concluded in May 2007.
Cause of death: heart failure. Devin's death, in the middle of the night April 30, 2007, was ruled a homicide after a toxicology report discovered signs of cocaine in the infant's urine. A blood test came back negative for the white powder.
Cydnie Clark, 20, and William Montelius III, 26, are charged with negligent homicide in their son's death, which prosecutors say was caused by the mother passing on her cocaine use through her breast milk


http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/01/parents_charged_in_infants_coc.html

[hockeymom441]

I think the problem with this story is calling it SIDS just yet. Given that the parents cannot provide reliable history, who knows what happened... that's the sad point, no one will ever know. As we don't know what causes SIDS... it's hard to say if them being more vigilant or even conscious may have changed the outcome. Certainly children born to drug users and alcoholics like this are at higher risk.

[kannardj]

The article said the charges were "Child Endangerment", which is a fitting charge. It did not really matter what happened to the child, because the parents were too drunk or high to notice. Any parent that gets too drunk or stoned to notice their children should face charges of endangerment. As parents, the number one priority should be the well-being of our children, and all children. Not, the kids are finally to bed, now I can hit that big-fat joint I've been saving all day. There would be alot less deprived and hurt children in this country if all these feeble minded parents would get their priotities right and show a little self control. Should I care about the well being of my child, and the example I set, or should I get stoned? Evidently, that is a tough choice for too many people in this country!

[mjm117]

Lost my son to SIDS over 20 years ago. I still have a hole in my heart.

If this was SIDS, there was nothing that could have been done. If they were using illegal drugs, etc, then they should be prosecuted for that.

My heart goes out to them and all SIDS parents.
Posted by drputt45 at 1:52 PM : Apr 14, 2009


Sorry for your loss drputt45.

Although a horrible story...with parents that don't seem to be all that resposible...it's good to see comments from readers, seeing through the BS. If she was not high when she breastfed...it's unlikely they were at fault...

[drputt45]

Lost my son to SIDS over 20 years ago. I still have a hole in my heart.

If this was SIDS, there was nothing that could have been done. If they were using illegal drugs, etc, then they should be prosecuted for that.

My heart goes out to them and all SIDS parents.

[dragyn30]

"they were too drunk and high to notice their 2-month-old daughter was dying from sudden infant death syndrome. "

This statement is just pathetic! SIDS is SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME! mean the baby was not dying from it is HAD died from it!

Like someone else said are they going to press charges against all parent who lose their babies to SIDS!!!???? If they were drinking and doing drugs then they should be slapped around for being stupid!