A West Virginia couple has been charged with murder after their four-month-old daughter died from alcohol poisoning linked to an unsafe home remedy.
Emergency services were called in November 2024 after the baby was found unresponsive at her home. She was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. At the time, her parents told authorities the child had been healthy and had no medical conditions.
A post-mortem examination later revealed the infant had a lethal level of alcohol in her system. Medical officials determined that alcohol poisoning was the cause of death, prompting investigators to reopen the case.
During later police interviews, the parents admitted they had regularly rubbed alcohol on their baby’s gums to calm her when she became fussy. They said they had used this method almost every day for about a month before her death, believing it would help soothe her.
Health experts strongly warn that giving alcohol to infants is extremely dangerous. Even very small amounts can be toxic to a baby’s undeveloped body. Doctors stress that such practices, often passed down as old wives’ tales, can have fatal consequences.
The parents now face charges including first-degree murder, child neglect resulting in death, and conspiracy. They are being held without bail while the case moves through the legal system.