Dad falls asleep on couch with 5-month-old, then mom finds baby unresponsive, cops say
A Pennsylvania father is now charged in connection to the February “bed-sharing” death of his 5-month-old, police said.
The 36-year-old New Oxford man was charged June 24 with endangering the welfare of a child, according to a Pennsylvania State Police report.
McClatchy News reached out to the man’s attorney on July 1 for comment but did not immediately hear back.
The man is accused of being under the influence of drugs when he put his baby to sleep on the couch, propped up against a pillow, according to multiple media reports citing court records.
A drug test showed the presence of fentanyl and methadone, along with other drugs, in the man’s system, WHTM reported citing a criminal complaint.
The baby’s mother came home from work around midnight Feb. 22 and noticed the child was unresponsive, lying face-down on a pillow, WPMT reported.
The infant was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after, the station reported.
According to court records, an autopsy revealed the baby’s cause of death was “unexpected infant death while bed-sharing,” WGAL reported.
The autopsy also noted that “asphyxia cannot be excluded and that bed-sharing with others and sleeping face down on a pillow both are considered unsafe sleeping environments,” WHTM station reported.
The father is being held at Adams County Prison on a $25,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 3, court records show.
The American Academy of Pediatrics “strongly discourages” co-sleeping, or sharing a bed with a baby.
“Approximately 3,500 infants die from sleep-related infant deaths annually in the United States,” according to the AAP.
New Oxford is about a 115-mile drive southwest from Philadelphia.
This story was originally published July 3, 2024 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Dad falls asleep on couch with 5-month-old, then mom finds baby unresponsive, cops say."
