She Breastfed Her Child, and Officials Say It Killed Him

A Pennsylvania mother's 11-week-old son died in April, and she has now been charged in his death. The Morning Call reports Samantha Jones, 30, is in Bucks County Jail after failing to make her $3 million bail in connection with the homicide charge. A probable cause affidavit reveals the baby, identified as RJ, died from ingesting methadone, amphetamine, and meth, which were allegedly transferred when Jones breastfed the child.

She allegedly told police that she had switched from mainly breastfeeding to using formula only a few days earlier, but that when RJ awoke crying at 3am on April 2 she was too exhausted to prepare a bottle in the kitchen and instead breastfed him. NBC Philadelphia reports she later gave him a formula bottle her husband had prepared around 6:30am, and found the child in distress an hour later. One hour after that he died in an ER. Jones says a painkiller addiction led to a prescription for methadone, which she had taken while pregnant and post-partum. Bucks Local News reports Jones also has a 2-year-old son; she has been ordered not to have contact with any minors. (More breastfeeding stories.)