METHUEN, MASS. (WHDH) - A 10-month-old baby was released from the hospital Monday after police said she was exposed to fentanyl at her home in Methuen.
Police said they responded to a home on Treetop Way Saturday afternoon after receiving a report that the baby girl was not breathing. Emergency crews treated the baby and she was taken to Tufts Medical Center. Officials say the baby stopped breathing twice and had to be revived. At the hospital, doctors confirmed that she had fentanyl in her system.
“It’s heartbreaking, to say the least,” said Methuen Police Lt. Michael Pappalardo. “I mean, it’s a 10-month-old baby and it’s very difficult to deal with a young child who has become a victim.”
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Police searched the house, where the baby girl lived with her mother and grandparents, and said they found drug paraphernalia in her mother’s car. Family attorney Michael Quinn said the family does not know how the baby ended up exposed to the drug. Quinn said the baby’s mother used to use drugs but has been in a treatment program since the baby was born and has always tested negative for drugs.
The baby girl was released from the hospital Monday into the custody of her aunt.
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) said they are investigating the incident. The Essex County District Attorney is also working with police to determine if charges should be filed.
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