2-month-old girl died of mixed drug toxicity after her parents gave her allergy medicine to make her drowsy just so they could have some time alone; father found guilty
Texas – In a heartbreaking case of negligence in Texas, a jury has found a 33-year-old man, identified as Adam C., guilty of manslaughter after he admitted to giving his 2-month-old daughter over-the-counter medications with the goal of making her drowsy so he and his wife could spend time alone. The final dose, prosecutors said, killed the child. Adam was convicted after a jury heard details of the July 2021 death of his infant daughter, whose autopsy revealed she died of mixed drug toxicity.
Prosecutors from the District Attorney’s Office argued that both Adam and his wife, Sarah, intentionally gave their daughter medications to force her to sleep. The medications found in her system—diphenhydramine, doxylamine, and dextromethorphan—are not approved for use in infants and were cited as the cause of her death. Prosecutors told jurors that the motive was chillingly casual: the couple wanted to have some time alone, uninterrupted by the needs of their newborn.
During the trial, it was revealed that both parents admitted to giving the baby allergy and cold medications not intended for infants and children’s multi-symptom cold medicine. They regularly administered these substances to induce sleep, prosecutors said, despite knowing the risks. Sarah even acknowledged to investigators that multiple doctors had warned her never to give allergy medicine to a baby and that the medication bottles clearly stated as much.
On July 11, 2021, the sheriff’s office responded to a 911 call from the couple’s home just after 4 p.m. Adam was home alone with the child while Sarah was away. According to deputies, Adam told them he had fed and swaddled the baby three hours earlier and placed her in a rocker. Unable to soothe her crying, he reportedly left her and took a nap on the couch. When he later checked on her, she was no longer breathing. Despite calling for an ambulance, the child was pronounced dead at the scene. In his initial statement, Adam denied giving the baby anything other than gas drops. However, during a later interview, he admitted to using allergy medicine to make the child sleep.
An autopsy conducted by the medical examiner found no external injuries but revealed the presence of several sedating medications. The cause of death was ruled as sudden death due to mixed drug toxicity, though the precise manner of death was listed as unknown. During their search of the home, deputies found bottles of liquid-filled capsules for sleeping and children’s cold medicine containing dextromethorphan. The discovery further supported the prosecution’s case that the baby had been repeatedly medicated for the convenience of her parents.
Both Adam and Sarah were arrested and charged with manslaughter in January 2022. At the time of arrest, they were booked into the county detention center and held on a $100,000 bond each. Sarah’s trial is still pending. Adam will now face sentencing from a jury. The timeline and potential penalties have not yet been finalized, but the verdict marks a sobering conclusion to a case of fatal disregard for a child’s life—all for the sake of a few quiet hours.
