Her grandparents took the 16-month-old girl to the hospital when they noticed breathing problems
Ferrum baby treated for OxyContin overdose, hospital officials say
The girl is now healthy and has been placed with her grandparents.
By MIKE ALLEN
THE ROANOKE TIMES
A toddler admitted to a Franklin County hospital with breathing trouble last Tuesday had overdosed on OxyContin, Franklin County authorities said.
The 16-month-old girl from Ferrum was brought to Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital in Rocky Mount by her grandparents, who also live in Ferrum. The hospital tested urine and blood samples from the girl and discovered chemical compounds that indicated the presence of OxyContin, said Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy Sandra Cundiff. OxyContin is a prescription painkiller popular with drug addicts.
The tests also revealed compounds in the child's fluids consistent with Xanax, a prescription anti-depressant, Cundiff said.
The girl was taken to Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital and kept in the pediatric intensive care unit for two days. Released Thursday, she is now in good health, Cundiff said.
The hospital notified the Franklin County Department of Social Services Wednesday morning, saying the child had overdosed on the drugs, Cundiff said. The girl and her 6-year-old sister were removed from the custody of their parents, who live in Ferrum. The children are staying with their grandparents. The grandparents noticed the girl's breathing difficulties during a visit to the girl's parents, Cundiff said.
Cundiff declined to release the parents' names, or details of how the girl ingested the drugs.
More blood and urine samples as well as baby bottles are being tested at a forensics lab in Roanoke. No charges have been filed, Cundiff said.
