A grandmother in Italy allegedly made a devastating mistake while making her infant grandson’s bottle, leaving him in a coma. Instead of mixing powdered baby formula with water, it appears the grandmother accidentally used white wine.
The 4-month-old baby reportedly ingested enough of the mixture to make him extremely ill. Thankfully, the child survived the frightening incident but not without medical intervention.
The grandmother allegedly confused the wine bottle with a water bottle.
The Daily Mail reported that the wine was allegedly in a dark-colored bottle similar to a glass water bottle. When the grandmother, who is from Francavilla Fontana in the southern Italian province of Brindisi, prepared the 4-month-old baby boy’s bottle, she seemed to mix up the two. The baby reportedly began to drink the bottle but soon refused to continue. The grandmother quickly realized why.
She apparently smelled the bottle and knew what was inside.
As soon as she discovered she’d mixed the formula powder with wine, the grandmother rushed the infant to Perrino Hospital, where he was immediately cared for by emergency personnel, the Daily Mail reported. He was intubated and his stomach pumped before he was transferred to the Giovanni Pediatric Hospital in Bari in an ethyl coma, the news outlet reported.
The child’s condition appears to be improving.
Per the Mirror, the baby appears to be stable, and his life is not in danger at the moment. Local police are investigating the incident and will determine whether the grandmother will face charges.
A California mother was arrested in August 2023 for giving her baby alcohol in a bottle.
Honesti De La Torre allegedly wanted to calm her 7-week-old baby, so the mother gave the infant alcohol to stop it from crying. The child reportedly became intoxicated and was rushed to a hospital for care. De La Torre was arrested and charged with child endangerment.
Although it appears the case of the Italian grandmother’s mistake was accidental and De La Torre’s was intentional, it’s crucial that infant caregivers are aware of all infant safety measures and recommendations.
Children and alcohol can be a deadly combination.
According to the National Capital Poison Center, children should never have alcohol. Even in small amounts, alcohol can lead to serious illness or even death. The organization suggests parents stay vigilant when it comes to alcohol in their homes and be sure that children cannot get to it.
“Lock up your alcoholic beverages. Empty out beer cans, wine glasses, and drinks glasses before children can get to them. Store your mouthwash and alcohol-containing cosmetics and cleansers out of sight and reach,” the center advises on its website.