ENDEAVOUR FORUM NEWSLETTER No. 112, NOVEMBER 2003

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The Associated Press reported that on August15, the outwardly perfect daycare operator Paula Burcham in Bartow, Florida was sentenced to 8 years in prison for giving a lethal dose of Benadryl to a 3 month old baby girl.  While she kept an immaculate house, made delicious meals and was beloved by the children, Ms. Burcham had been giving over-the-counter drugs to the children without permission.  Authorities suspect she was using the drugs to sedate irritable children.  Since their baby's death, the parents have learned that their tragedy was not unique. In the past three years, at least 10 other cases of daycare workers sedating children have been investigated across the country.  Four babies died in those cases, and medical workers fear additional babies who died after being drugged have been written off as suffering sudden infant death syndrome. 

Personally I would have been suspicious as soon as I saw an "immaculate home" with several children.  There was no way I could have kept my house even halfway immaculate unless I deep-froze my children and stuck them in the freezer.

Member Organisation, World Council for Life and Family

NGO in Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC of the UN