Mom Allegedly Gives 7-Week-Old Baby Milk With Vodka; Alcohol Found In Infant’s Blood

A 37-year-old mother from Clearfield County, Pennsylvania is facing a felony charge after she allegedly gave her 7-week-old son baby formula that had been mixed with vodka in late March, court documents revealed.

Jan Gaikwad is being charged with a felony count of child endangerment along with a misdemeanor count of reckless endangerment of another person, local newspaper The Clearfield Progress reported, citing a criminal complaint. She also faces a corruption of minors charge, according to a report by WTAJ.

Members of the Clearfield Borough Police Department and Clearfield EMS had been dispatched to an apartment on Dorey Street at approximately 11:07 a.m. on March 25 because an infant had consumed vodka, The Clearfield Progress report said. Upon entering the residence, police found Gaikwad holding her infant son, who was crying.

Gaikwad had told police that she had possibly used vodka to mix the baby formula she had prepared for her 7-week-old baby instead of water, according to WTAJ.

The mother told authorities that she allegedly had vodka in a water bottle on the counter while preparing the bottle for her child. Gaikwad said she called 911 after her baby drank from the bottle and she realized her mistake.

The baby's bottle had been mostly empty, police said in the complaint. They added that the water bottle containing the vodka had been thrown away before first responders could arrive. Authorities, however, were able to locate an 80 proof Crown Russe Premium Vodka bottle.

Following the incident, Gaikwad's baby was taken to Penn Highlands Clearfield Emergency Department, where he was diagnosed with "pediatric poisoning," as per The Clearfield Progress.

Blood tests on the baby revealed he had 64 milligrams per deciliter of ethyl alcohol of whole blood, which could have the potential to cause serious health effects, Clearfield police officer Ethan Fritz said.

The baby had spent the first months of its life in an intensive care unit prior to the incident as he had been recovering from abstinence syndrome over Gaikwad's use of the opioid Subutex during her pregnancy.

Gaikwad waved her preliminary hearing Wednesday before Clearfield County Central Court. She was freed on an unsecured $5,000 bond.