Baby drunk at birth; new mother charged

Seriously. Court ordered tubes tied! Sheesh! :mad:

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Source: The Toronto Star

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. (AP) — A woman who police say had been drinking heavily before she gave birth was charged with child neglect after the baby was born intoxicated and diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Melissa Tanner, 37, had a blood alcohol content of 0.29 per cent when she gave birth June 30, and her daughter's was 0.21 per cent, according to an affidavit by police. The legal limit for drivers in Oklahoma is 0.08 per cent.

Hospital staff had to use an oxygen bag to help the baby start breathing and gave her medication to counteract any narcotics, according to the affidavit.

Tanner allegedly told police she and another person had consumed a case of beer and that she regularly drank during her pregnancy.

She was jailed on $30,000 (all figures U.S.) bail. At a court appearance this week, Tanner was advised of her rights and ordered to return to court Aug. 5. She has not yet filed an application for an lawyer or entered a plea, the court clerk's office said.

Sheriff's investigator James Wynn said the baby has fetal alcohol syndrome and has been placed in a foster home with a caretaker experienced in dealing with addicted infants.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists the syndrome as the leading preventable cause of mental retardation and physical deformity. The severity of disability in this case won't be known until the baby is older.

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If only pot were legal. She could have done that instead. I don't think it's nearly as harmful as alcohol, especially for the baby.

if only she took the life she was carrying seriously and stayed clean.

It's about time they did something like this.

Drinking during her pregnancy. even smoking during pregnancy is harmful but not as bad as
drinking I guess she didn't care enough to stop.

I'm sure, though, that some crazy liberal people will fight saying that mothers can drink during pregnancy if she wants to. After all, "it is her body" and "she has the right to do what she wants".. think about it.. it's not a big deal if she kills it, but if she makes it drunk? Then we have a problem.

*Note: High amounts of sarcasm were used in this thread. Apply where YOU think it would go.

Seriously, I do have a problem with this and agree that something needs to be done about the general situation.

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Drinking during her pregnancy. even smoking during pregnancy is harmful but not as bad as drinking I guess she didn't care enough to stop

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I think you have a good point there cdkj ................over here, there are plenty of warnings about smoking, but none about drinking............OK I am a bloke, so I do not get the personal medical advice that a female might, however, doesn't a child have two parents? so husbands should be advised?



:)

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"she has the right to do what she wants"

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That's a huge misconception and it applies only to the point where it's legal and doesn't affect the rights of others. The mother clearly violated the babies rights by forcing the baby to get drunk.

Another classic example is smoking. Do they have that right? Sure, as long as it doesn't violate someone else's right to breathe air which is free of their smoke.

~cheers~

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Originally posted here by Relyt
That's a huge misconception and it applies only to the point where it's legal and doesn't affect the rights of others. The mother clearly violated the babies rights by forcing the baby to get drunk.

Another classic example is smoking. Do they have that right? Sure, as long as it doesn't violate someone else's right to breathe air which is free of their smoke.

~cheers~

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I have to agree. The parts I typed which were in quotes was meant to signify where I meant for the sarcasm to be. I was just trying to show where, to some people, it's no problem if the mother violates the baby's rights to live yet feels it's wrong to get the baby drunk.

I don't want to change the subject, though. I just felt it was very hypocritical.

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over here, there are plenty of warnings about smoking, but none about drinking

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I have not found a bottle of alcohol whos label does not warn against the dangers of drinking while pregnent.

Hi XTC46

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I have not found a bottle of alcohol whos label does not warn against the dangers of drinking while pregnent.

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Exactly my point. In the UK and Europe (AFAIK) there is no such warning, yet the dangers of smoking are clearly stated. We are way behind you guys on this one.

Maybe it is because we have a national (free) health service, or our lawmakers are percentage players and this issue is not considered "big" enough at the moment?

It certainly looks like an oversight to me.

I would be obliged if someone could PM me a photo or scan of these warnings and I will pass them on to my political contacts...............might as well have them doing something useful for a change? :D

Having given it some thought, I cannot recall seeing a pregnant woman in a bar or drinking in a restaurant in the past 10 years...............so it could be our health service's pre-natal advisory programme?

:)

Well, I have something to say about this. I see women on crack pregnant all the time. They don't care about themselves, how do you expect them to care about a baby? These people are lost. Meaning they lost that common sense of what is wrong and right a long time ago. All they care about is getting their next fix, no matter what. They'll do anything to get 5 bucks. Pregnant or not. Alcoholism is just as bad as drug addiction. Now the rehabilitation programs at least where I'm from, they are horrible. The shelters where these people are place into are big crack houses. You have social workers dealing. There's no family support because they have none. They get locked up for smoking crack, go to the hospital, get a clearance, see a judge and back in the streets they go. They have their babies, the babies go to foster homes where the parents are only interested in the welfare money they're worth, and they grow up just the same. So tell me, should crack come with a label too? Who's to blame?

If this woman is willing to take the life of her baby into jeopardy like that she has a serious problem and needs help. Im sure she knew that drinking while pregnant could harm the baby but she just didnt care and that right there tells me she needs mental and alcoholism help.

Hi tink,

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Who's to blame?

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Everybody and everything...but...in the end the responsibility must fall on the shoulders of the person...at some point a person has to take responsibility for their own actions and not blame mommy or daddy or society or the environment they grew up in ( third world being the exception )...

there are plenty of things a person can do or places a person can go to get help...the problem rests that they return to the same environment and hang with the same people and follow the same patterns...they have choices...it's ultimately, at some point, their responsibility to make the however hard right choice.

Eg ;)

A baby is GOD,S gift to any couple and to show grattitude in that respect is disturbing to me..WHY HAVE THE BABY AT ALL?????She regularly drank during her pregnancy...YEAH!!that says a lot!!!

Some ppl battle for ages to get a baby either their own or adopted...I just do not get it..
She deserves what,s coming to her I think

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After all, "it is her body" and "she has the right to do what she wants".. think about it.. it's not a big deal if she kills it, but if she makes it drunk? Then we have a problem.

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Arent we backwards? Sadly, thats they way the world works.

Hi Kthln01,

I understand what you are saying...but...you really don't know whether death is a good thing or a bad thing...so...abortion could possibly be doing the kid a favor, rather than spending a life with someone who never wanted him/her anyways...

whereas...being born with a preventable alcoholic syndrome we don't have to guess...we know it's a bad thing

for the record I neither support nor oppose abortion...but given the choice...I would have rather she aborted than give birth to a child that is likely going to have a very difficult time his/her whole life.

You might liken this to torture...which is preferable? To spend your life being tortured or to be killed?
Killing seems to be the most merciful option, in my opinion.

Eg ;)

I sort of agree there.

However, people make mistakes all of the time. The way they handle their mistakes can be decided.

Just because she was not prepared to have a child does not mean the child has to suffer. If she does not have the mental capacity to care for a child, then she should not be able to physically make children. But, if she just went out and had unprotected sex, too bad. Her mistake. Life is precious, she should readjust her life to accommodate the child, not make the child suffer because she doesnt want it. Put it up for adoption, there are alternatives.

Without getting into the whole abortion argument, this case is an example of how legal systems can be interpreted and viewpoints can be argued. I wish I knew more about the law. I would probably be a criminal.

YEY for abortions !!

And preventive sterilization (first introduced in Germany in the early 1940's)

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,
...third world being the exception..

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No its not. I can tell you that, as a legit 3rd world representative :)

Hi cacosapo,

When I was speaking of ' Third World ' I was speaking specifically about places like Bangladesh, the Sudan, etc...where they likely don't have access to the same assistance that we do in the West...or have the same ability to relocate or move away from problem areas.

I was not excusing their behaviour...I was just taking into account that the environment may be more difficult to deal with.

Eg ;)

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Baby drunk at birth; new mother charged

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What are they going to charge her with, failing to get an abortion?
:cool: