A toddler was hospitalized in Ohio this week for having a blood-alcohol level that was three times the legal driving limit for an adult driver, police said.
The 7-month-old baby girl was taken to hospital by her mother after she became "limp and unresponsive," local media outlet WJW (FOX8) reported, citing a police report. The incident occured last Sunday and is now the focus of a law enforcement investigation.
The child's mother, who has not been named, told investigators the girl had been left with an aunt between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. while she went to work. When she picked up the baby in the evening she noticed signs of strange behavior, Cleveland 19 reported.
According to local media, the mother told police her child was tired and acting out of character. The baby's condition allegedly worsened as time progressed after arriving home.
After being taken to hospital, medical professionals initially gave the toddler an anti-narcotic drug known as Narcan as they believed she may have been suffering from an overdose.
Cleveland 19 reported that tests later confirmed the child's blood-alcohol concentration was .25 percent. For comparison, the legal limit for an adult driver in the U.S. is .08 percent.
WJW reported that the child's grandmother told police officers this week the baby girl may have been given the alcohol in her bottle "because she was crying and wouldn't sleep." The toddler was admitted to the University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children.
The mother said her baby had a bottle but denied knowing how the alcohol got into her system. The aunt said she had "no idea" how it happened when contacted by a hospital social worker.
The police investigation is ongoing, and no charges have been filed. Cleveland 19 reported that child services have been contacted about the incident and are aware of the case.
In January, it emerged that a Maryland daycare operator had been charged with neglect of a child and reckless endangerment after a baby in her care was found to have a blood-alcohol concentration that was also almost three times the adult driving limit.
The incident involving Doris Marie Ott, 50, occurred on April 10 last year. Fox 5 reported in January that the "pale and limp" boy was taken to hospital after appearing intoxicated. During a search of the home facility, police investigators said they found booze in a basement fridge.
