Cops: Parents Rubbed Painkiller on Newborn's Gums to Mask Addiction

Three of four kids tested positive for meth
By Elizabeth Armstrong Moore,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 24, 2017 4:32 AM CDT
Updated Jul 24, 2017 6:03 AM CDT
Parents Dosed Newborn to Mask Her Addiction: Cops
Lacey Christenson, 26, also has three boys, ages 8, 4, and 2.   (Utah County Sheriff)

A 3-month-old girl who tested positive for meth, heroin, and morphine was allegedly dosed with a painkiller by her parents hours after her April 9 birth to mask the girl's addiction from hospital staff. The Utah County Sheriff reports that Colby Glen Wilde, 29, and Lacey Dawn Christenson, 26, face multiple charges, including child endangerment and drug distribution—though the Salt Lake Tribune reports these charges don't touch on what allegedly happened at the hospital. Having used heroin and prescription drugs heavily throughout her pregnancy, Christenson admitted to police she knew her daughter would be born addicted. When hospital staff weren't looking, she and Wilde allegedly rubbed a crushed painkiller called Suboxone on the girl's gums to mask her symptoms.

The case only began to surface two months later, when Wilde allegedly grabbed items from a Walmart shelf and immediately tried to return them; police say he dropped his baby, who was strapped into a carseat, two times while attempting to flee, reports Gephardt Daily. The Utah Division of Child and Family Services took custody of the couple's four children; the youngest three kids tested positive for meth. In late June, police say a search warrant led to the discovery of drugs and related items all over the house, including next to a bassinet and sippy cup. On July 18, they executed another search warrant and say the revelation about the alleged post-birth dosing occurred in an interview with the couple after that. The couple's cash bail has been set at $10,000, reports CBS News. The baby's current health has not been reported. (Withdrawal can kill an infant.)

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