Mother killed baby with breast milk

I did not know that breastfeeding could be such a serious crime. S. Carolina news:

A Campobello woman has been found guilty of killing her daughter with a morphine overdose from breast milk.

She was sentenced to 20 years in prison and will serve 80 percent of the prison sentence before she is eligible for release.

Stephanie I. Greene, 39, was found guilty of homicide by child abuse, involuntary manslaughter and unlawful conduct toward a child after a 4-day jury trial in Spartanburg, according to Solicitor Barry Barnette.

Greene’s 46-day-old daughter, Alexis, was found dead in her parents’ bed on Nov. 13, 2010. Authorities said Greene appeared disoriented when coroner’s office investigators first arrived. They said she had trouble walking, slurred speech and had unfocused eyes, according to trial testimony.

A toxicology report showed toxic levels of morphine in her blood, liver and brain as well as other drugs, including Klonopin, in her system, Barnette said.

Greene's attorney, Wise Rauch, said he does not disagree the baby likely died of a morphine overdose. He questions how such a toxic level killed the newborn.

"When the average human being takes morphine, it's metabolized through the liver," said Rauch. "If it's not metabolized correctly, then yes, it has the possibility to build up, but no mother would know whether or not their child metabolizes morphine correctly without a genetic test."

Greene had been a nurse with a B.S.N Degree and failed to disclose her morphine prescriptions to her doctors and service providers and did not reveal her pregnancy and her breastfeeding of Alexis to her other doctors that were providing the prescriptions to her, according to Barnette.

He said Greene was on morphine and other prescription drugs during her pregnancy and while she was breast-feeding Alexis.

"The two doctors that were giving her the medications did not know she was pregnant," said Barnette.

Greene currently has 38 fraudulent prescription drug charges pending against her, Barnette said.

He said Greene’s prior criminal record includes a conviction for unlawful conduct toward a child and attempt to obtain controlled substance by fraud.

Usually a criminal conviction requires showing criminal intent. This woman was obviously an addict who was not intending to poison her child. Yes, she probably lied to get prescriptions, but that is what addicts do. I wonders why none of the medicos noticed her condition.