Drugs in mom's breastmilk kill baby, mother faces murder charges

Ali Harrison | Asbury Park Press

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A 30-year-old Pennsylvania woman inadvertently killed her 11-week-old son after giving him breast milk while on prescribed drugs, according to a report.

A preliminary hearing for the woman, Samantha Jones, was set for Wednesday, according to the report.

Jones was too exhausted to prepare a bottle of formula and opted instead to breastfeed her son, R.J., April 2, according to the report.

An hour later, her son began to spew bloody mucus out of his nose. R.J. was rushed to the hospital by ambulance and pronounced dead at approximately 8:30 a.m., according to the report.

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Examiners found no traces of drugs in the infant's bottle or formula. Despite this, traces of methadone, amphetamine, and methamphetamine were found in R.J.'s blood, according to the report.

Jones was prescribed methadone for her pregnancy to help stop her addiction to opioid painkillers.

Jones faces a murder charge that carries a life sentence, according to the report.

