1-Year-Old Child Accidentally Consumes Drug Ice, Mother Charged For Endangering Life

A 1-year-old child in Australia was hospitalized in critical condition after accidentally consuming the drug ice, which is a form of methamphetamine.

According to the police, the incident happened in Queensland on Nov. 6. After a month-long investigation into the incident, the 20-year-old mother of the toddler was charged with endangering the life of a child by exposure, News.Com reported.

On the day of the incident, the woman visited a unit on Hamilton Ave in Surfers Paradise with her child, where the boy allegedly consumed a huge quantity of methamphetamine, acting detective inspector Troy Penrose, the Vulnerable Persons, and Domestic Violence Unit said.

A while later, the child began to vomit and lose consciousness. The panicked mother took the toddler to the street, where passers-by noticed her and the unresponsive child and informed emergency services. The boy was then rushed to the Gold Coast University Hospital in critical condition.

Further tests revealed the drug in the boy's system. However, police said there was no evidence he was deliberately given the drugs. An investigation was launched into the incident, following which the mother surrendered before the police.

The toddler is said to have made a full recovery.

The unidentified woman was granted bail and is due to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on Jan. 8. The matter has been referred to the Department of Child Safety.

In a similar incident, a 40-year-woman from Sydney's Inner West was charged after her 8-week-old child died of drug poisoning. The child was found unconscious in a home in Annandale. Despite the paramedics' effort to rescue him, the child died at the scene. The postmortem report revealed the presence of methylamphetamine and amphetamine in his system, 9News reported.

The use of ice, or crystal meth, has increased in Australia, with children being the victim of this trend. An analysis conducted by ABC has found in the last few years since the ice use started to increase, the number of children in out-of-home care in Australia has climbed by about 33.5%. A Queensland government report from 2017 also found one-third of children brought into state care had parents who used methamphetamines, most commonly ice.