Using marijuana while caring for a baby can pose a deadly risk, Oregon officials warn
Last summer, a frantic family called 911 for help. Their baby wasn’t breathing.
The month-old infant had been asleep with its father on a king size bed. Dad woke up just before 5 a.m. and knew that something was wrong: The baby hadn’t woken him up at the usual time overnight. The baby, who was born prematurely and had been asleep on its side, had its face pressed against the fluffy blanket it had been sleeping on.
Department of Human Services staff who investigated the child’s death determined the parents had not neglected their baby. They had just taken the infant to the doctor the day before because it was constipated. But the parents had no education on how to sleep safely with a child, they told a child protective services caseworker. Those best practices include placing a baby alone, on its back, on a firm, flat mattress.
The caseworkers noted one other factor, which the Department of Human Services says is a recurring and disturbing trend: Both parents had used marijuana before they fell asleep.