A Virginia woman has been charged with child abuse after authorities say she tried to calm a 3-month-old baby by administering the opiate methadone.
The Manassas City Police Department said Friday that the baby was admitted to a local hospital on Dec. 3 in respiratory distress. Tests showed the infant was under the influence of methadone, which is used for controlling opioid addiction.
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Police spokeswoman Adrienne Helms tells the Washington Post an investigation revealed 31-year-old Jessica F. Nicholson orally administered the drug in an attempt to calm the baby.
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Police didn’t say if Nicholson and the child, who is expected to recover, were related.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Nicholson had an attorney who would comment on her behalf. A phone listing for her could not be found.
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