SC Police: Baby Died From Morphine in Breast Milk
- Posted on June 25, 2011 at 12:47am by
Scott Baker
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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A 6-week-old baby in South Carolina died after she received lethal doses of the painkiller morphine through her mother’s breast milk, authorities said Friday.
Stephanie Greene, 37, was charged with homicide by child abuse after a seven-month investigation that began when her daughter, Alexis, was found dead in her bed in her Campobello home. Authorities say the painkiller got into Greene‘s breast milk after she took pills and used patches containing morphine constantly since the child’s birth.
Spartanburg County deputies opened a homicide investigation in January when autopsy results showed a lethal level of morphine in the child’s body.
Breast-feeding mothers are allowed to take morphine because low levels of the painkiller pass into the mother’s milk when taken properly, said Diana West, a spokeswoman for La Leche League International, which encourages breast-feeding in new mothers.
“Most drugs like morphine pass so poorly through human milk that it is nearly impossible for a child to have a therapeutic dose, much less a lethal dose,” West said.
Authorities said their investigation shows Greene illegally obtained the drugs at least 38 times in less than two years at a Spartanburg pharmacy, according to state Department of Health and Environmental Control investigators.
That led authorities also to charge Greene with 38 counts of violating drug distribution laws. If convicted, Greene faces up to 5 years in prison for each felony count. She also faces 20 years to life in prison if convicted of homicide by child abuse.
Greene was being held in the Spartanburg County jail awaiting a bond hearing. Her husband, Randy, refused to talk about the case or give the name of his wife’s attorney when reached by phone by an Associated Press reporter.
“You know about as much as I do right now,” he said.
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Comments (98)
Progressive Wrecking Crew
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 7:31amGot ghetto spiked nip milk? What a trailer rat…she couldn’t just go to the fridge and whip up some formula….skankhomurderer
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 7:30amI bet that Media Matters is really ticked off at all the liberals here on the blaze. As long as they are here, they can’t be on Media Matters. But this is really a sad story, drugs and pregnant women don’t go together. Hopefully she will find the help she needs. One thing is that the baby is a lot better off there than here.
Report Post »Professional Infidel
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 7:02amMossbrain, a perfect name for you, Couldn’t have come up with a better one myself. thanks for saving me all that time.
Report Post »Ray2447
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 6:48amDeaths of little children, killed by their mothers, is egregious, yet the taxpayer funded, domestic violence industry disingenuously tries to make us believe that women don’t abuse men too. According to the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services and DOJ statistics, more kids are killed by neglect and abuse in a year (1,760 in 2007), than all the female intimate partner homicides in a year. Mothers are the single largest group of kid killers, according to HHS, and they have a rate twice that of fathers. Nowhere near the money is spent to protect kids from kid killing mothers as is spent by the domestic violence industry to protect women. The taxpayer funded d.v. industry is a bastion of misandrist vilification, falsely accusing men of being the overwhelming cause of d.v., and empowering violent women to commit further domestic violence. The corruption of the taxpayer funded, domestic violence industry is characterized in “Los Misandry” at Youtube. http://tinyurl.com/27oh7cp
Report Post »baldwin4freedom
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 11:52amThe Domestic Violence Program, like any other government agency, are created because of individual’s emotions. Life contains horrors happening every day, but over the years many women have been abused and a market was created to ‘solve’ the problem. Yet, there are no agencies that can be created to stop autrocities without ‘unforeseen’ consequences much worse than the original problem. Domestic violence programs along with the welfare system have aided in destroying the family, (demonizing all men) thus creating job security for these agencies. (At least until the country goes broke.) Maybe at the point of collapse those individuals relying upon the system to solve their own problems will start empowering themselves and become more self-reliant.
Report Post »Ray2447
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:07pmCredible research overwhelmingly shows that the ratio of d.v. is at least 50/50 between women & men. http://tinyurl.com/3sakk According to one study by researchers who work at the CDC, in 70 percent of domestic violence incidents, where the domestic violence is not mutual, it’s women who initiate the domestic violence. http://tinyurl.com/yzm9xhe The taxpayer funded domestic violence industry has largely mischaracterized the true nature of d.v. from the beginning and continues to mislead the public.
V.P. Biden recently called violence against women, “the very worst abuse.” The very worst abuse is valuing one life less than another for having been born the wrong gender, or the wrong age group. Under Biden’s Violence Against Women Act the wrong gender is men and the wrong age group is children. Shelter and services are virtually non-existent for male victims of domestic violence so those options out of a bad relationship, that are routinely available to women, are very often not available to men and their kids. Men wind up gender profiled and often falsely accused by the taxpayer funded, d.v. industry, because of gender feminist ideology controlling the d.v. industry. Men are often battered by domestic violence, and then battered again by the taxpayer funded, domestic violence industry as shown in “Los Misandry” at Youtube.
Report Post »trooper
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 6:16amIf she a was a big fat, sow, she boon, ape you and I would have never heard a “peep” about it, media bias never allows them to talk about all the badies who die injesting lethal doses of “crack cocaine” from the teets of their sow mothers, now do they?
Report Post »one years food ration like glenn says
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 7:23am@TROOPER.. Careful with you using the word “APE” the leftist trolls on here will be thinking you are talking about Blacks…. Course, then they will turn right around and claim they don’t see color..
Report Post »Lee Butchee
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:48pm@one years food ration like glenn says, He IS talking about blacks. Trooper is a well known racist and gives US ALL a bad name. He’s the bad apple that spoils the bunch.
Report Post »GadsdenPatriot
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 6:16amLeftist mentalities are so very weak. They need government to baby them every step of their lives, and they need drugs because they can’t handle common responsibilities and difficulties in life. This isn’t the first time the death of a baby was related to a leftist.
Report Post »MOLLYPITCHER
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 6:24am@ gadsdenpatriot
Report Post »Yes. You are right. She should not have breastfed that baby if there was any amount of morphine in her milk. Moms should be responsible for making the right decision. But again, she should not have been told it was safe when it was not.
MOLLYPITCHER
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 6:15amBreast feeding is best for the baby, but not when the mom is a drug addict. I think there needs to be more research on drugs and breastfeeding, since this woman was told it was ok to feed her baby.
Report Post »SlimnRanger
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 7:53amI agree Molly, brest feeding is best for the baby,it’s a shame this woman is hooked on drugs and those drugs led to the death of the innocent baby,you would think any mother would know better
Report Post »DeepSouthernMan
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 6:00amPretty sad to use this topic like you have.
Report Post »thepatriotdave
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 4:59amSad that people have to make jokes about something like this. No wonder the progressives are winning.
http://www.allenwestforpresident.us
Report Post »the hawk
Posted on June 26, 2011 at 4:45amI agree and did’nt mean to joke! GOD bless ALL THE CHILDREN ! IT IS SAD !
Report Post »invulintany manslauter?
Netsurfer2
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 4:36amThis should have never happened. If we only had parents around with a little discipline before having kids, I’m sure it would have never happened. It is sad to see people on drugs with no self control and letting their lives go to you know what. This lady has no care in the world about others and is very highly addicted to drugs, what do you expect??? The sad thing is others suffer because of people like this! There is no excuse at all for this ever happening.
Report Post »becauseitmatters
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 10:35amThey do have an excuse. Society doesn’t demand us to be moral anymore. They are taught to do what feels right to them. Life is all about finding satisfaction for yourself. We no longer expect good moral character out of people, and there is no shame anymore. What is truly wrong is glorified, or is being retaught as acceptable. God help our nation. We‘re turning into something that I don’t even want to see, hear, or experience in any way.
Report Post »miri55
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 3:17amThose who are on drugs do not fit to be mothers! Drugs kill…period. A woman should know it better,,,,
Report Post »chris3
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 5:46pmdrugs kill? I suppose guns kill to and suv’s,I take morphine for pain. don’t plan on letting it kill me, that would be somthing in my control, some of the ignorance that is displayed here is scary, the fringes will be the death of us as a free country control,and this is best for you mentality(you know who you are,pro drug war,and smaller govt. don’t fit by the way)
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 2:36amI guess she’s never heard of formula and WIC!
Report Post »cookcountypatriot
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 2:04amthis woman is self absorbed drug addict ..that poor baby never had a chance whether she had access to medical pot or not,,she is a casulty of the me first gerneration…whats sad is she is just one of millions of the new american public school raised momma,s…our society is burning a faster rate every day,,,find jesus people hes coming soon.
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 2:03amPeople still do morphine?
She had to be completely loaded to have enough in her breast milk and kill her baby….
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 5:02pmThere is something just not right with this story – I have no idea what it is but it just doesn’t make sense to me. She must have been taking huge amount of morphine in order for it to kill her baby.
Report Post »http://wp.me/pYLB7-17w
the hawk
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:57amI’m pro breast feeding ! thought abortion was legal ? sad for the child !
Report Post »CatB
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:25amMichelle Obama is pushing breast feeding .. she was doing what the current regime wants women to do.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/02/14/michelle-obama-to-promote-breast-feeding-as-irs-gives-tax-breaks/
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:20am@ CHEEZWHIZ
LOL
it was the same libtroll :)
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:18amRobert-CA
Report Post »I saw a cockroach & I stepped on it ,
———-
Was the Obama voter’s face still attached to the cockroach when you stepped on it ?
:D
If not, then you are doing it all wrong
Robert-CA
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:12am@ CHEEZWHIZ
I saw a cockroach & I stepped on it , that’s what you were referring to .
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:05amIf this woman had access to medical weed, her baby would still be alive
Report Post »/libtroll
Wdawg
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:04amhomicide? seems out of place. She had no intent on harming her child. drug addiction and lack of education are the culprits here. not saying she shouldn’t be charged. manslaughter seems more accurate.
Report Post »silentwatcher
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:20amIt will be manslaughter,,,,prosecution always starts higher.
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 2:40amHomicide only means a human died of “unnatural causes.” Accidental deaths are also homicides as are killing in self-defense. Manslaughter and murder have to do w/the wrongful death of the victim or the preventable nature of the death of the victim.
Report Post »one years food ration like glenn says
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 7:17am@ELANA… Define homicide, here it is…… hom·i·cide
Report Post »[hom-uh-sahyd, hoh-muh-] .
# 1 the killing of one human being by another. #2.
a person who kills another; murderer
Pretty much what you say it is, huh ?
Diane TX
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:04amHow sad that a drug addict was encouraged to breast feed her new born child. Obviously, La Leche League International, doesn‘t know what it’s talking about.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:40am@DIANE TX
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/02/14/michelle-obama-to-promote-breast-feeding-as-irs-gives-tax-breaks/
“Looking ahead to what she will do in the second year of ”Let’s Move,” Mrs. Obama said: “We also want to focus on the important touch points in a child’s life. And what we’re learning now is that early intervention is key. Breastfeeding. Kids who are breastfed longer have a lower tendency to be obese.”
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 2:35amKids who are breastfed longer have a lower tendency to be obese.”
Report Post »—–
Looks like Obama has been breastfed till he was 40
;-)
kindling
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:01amI am not condoning in any way what this mother did, as far as I am concerned she should be tried for murder but so should anyone that told her it would not harm her child to use such a harsh drug, even legally. But what I don’t understand is why it is not illegal to be pregnant and using illegal drugs. I have adopted 3 children that were exposed to drugs and they are so messed up they will never have a normal life. If a woman is known to use drugs and is found to be pregnant she should be placed in jail and sterilized after the child is born. It is as if she shot the drugs in her baby on purpose. At least this mother in the story was told she would not harm her baby…..which any normal person should know is a LIE!
Report Post »sissykatz
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 3:53amKindling She was told it would not be harmful in the dose they were giving her because such a small amount would go into the milk. They did not tell her to take all the extra she was getting and taking would not be harmful. Although I am with you on one thing, I do not believe she should be breast feeding if she was in so much pain as to have to take Morphine. She should have been bottle feeding. I would also think the Dr. woiuld have been suspicios of her any way. She obviously was taking it while she was pregnant.also. It said she had been using it for over two years.
Report Post »Marylou7
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 5:36am@KINDLING
If it is okay to kill a baby in the womb, then what is wrong with doping them up. This whole world is sick. Am so tired of people putting human life last.
Report Post »one years food ration like glenn says
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 7:11am@KINDLING… Dope, it IS illegal to be pregnant and use ILLEGAL drugs, What, just because she is pregnant the law will give her a pass ? Dope, it was a prescription from a doctor so it wasn’t “illegal”.. My God, no wonder libs call all of us conservs stupid ,they get to read posts like yours..
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on June 26, 2011 at 11:02amAmericanism-the religion that protects and loves children.
Report Post »MadeInAmerica
Posted on June 26, 2011 at 4:25pmRose-Ellenism – G. Soros’ flatulence.
Report Post »jzs
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:01amAs Glenn transistions, the voices of the left are silenced. Hope to be able to post again soon, but for now, I can’t.
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:08amObviously you can .
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:21amjzs
Report Post »As Glenn transistions, the voices of the left are silenced.
—————
Sore@$$ not paying y’all anymore ?
:P
one years food ration like glenn says
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 7:05am@JZS .. Can‘t believe you’re proud to say you’re on the left.. Sheesh !!! I would never admit that..
Report Post »UlyssesP
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 9:17amBut you did.
Report Post »You make no sense. Has you been sucking morphine from your mommas spigots?
Inbred Jed
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 10:40amI, I tend to be to the right of Ghenkis Khan and several of my posts have been deleted or don’t show up at all. Nothing I will lose sleep over, now will I whine about it. I am simply stating I seriouly doubt that posts are being deleted due to political bias. I may be wrong but the evidence I see that many different opinions are posted on The Blaze from all sides that censorship is probably not the case.
Report Post »sissykatz
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:01amThis is horrible !!!! Why was she breast feeding if she was abusing drugs? She should not have been abusing at all but she knew she was so why not bottle feed ? She should be locked up for all the charges and get extra time for stupidity……
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:18amShe‘s guilty of homicide by child abuse but who’s her doctor & how much he told her to take .
Report Post »But no matter how we put it the damage is done .
I just hope that other addicts will really learn their lesson after this .
Showtime
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:29amSissyKatz, what you are saying is for people who knopw the difference between right and wrong. This is about a woman who didn’t care more for her baby than she did her fix.
I used to live in Spartanburg, and my late aunt was the state circuit court reported for the late Judge Bruce Littlejohn, who later became the SC Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Law enforcement is not going to be lenient on this woman, particularly since a baby lost her life because of the mother’s abuse.
So much for the liberals’ new lifestyle that destroys the family!
Report Post »sissykatz
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 4:00amShow you are right. I keep trying to make my assumptions based on people being sane in the beginning.That is where I make my mistake, I she does not get off lightly. I hope they throw the book at her.
Report Post »I think this is where Mooshell is going wrong pushing the breatfeeding.She is also assumiing they are sane and do not take drugs. I say stick with the Bottle and everyone is safer. The Liberals should keep their controlling noses out of everything. This world would be so much better off if all the ******** would make a mass exodus. I can dream.
one years food ration like glenn says
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 7:00am@SISSY.. She breast fed to have the extra cash to by her drugs.
Report Post »Lawlcat001
Posted on June 27, 2011 at 12:32pmcan’t buy drugs AND formula…
Report Post »