Mother charged with drugging her baby with methadone

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A Kansas City woman has been charged with drugging her baby with methadone, a painkiller known mainly for treating heroin addiction.

The Jackson County prosecutor's office announced Saturday that the 30-year-old woman is charged with child endangerment. The prosecutor's office spokesman said he didn't know whether she had an attorney.

The probable cause statement says a foster parent went to a pediatrician last summer after beginning to care for the child because he was screaming and couldn't sleep more than 15 minutes. The child was hospitalized for six days to treat withdrawal symptoms.

A witness told police the mother had drugged the baby when he cried or before bed. Court records say she obtained the drug from a methadone clinic and that it made the baby calm down or sleep.