Okla. Woman Said to Give Birth While Drunk

[U2Girl1978]

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. - A woman who police say had been drinking heavily before she gave birth was charged with child neglect after the baby was born intoxicated and diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Melissa Irene Tanner, 37, had a blood alcohol content of 0.29 percent when she gave birth June 30, and her daughter's was 0.21 percent, according to an affidavit by police. The legal limit for drivers in Oklahoma is 0.08 percent.

Hospital staff had to use an oxygen bag to help the baby start breathing and gave her medication to counteract any narcotics, according to the affidavit.

Tanner allegedly told police she and another person had consumed a case of beer and that she regularly drank during her pregnancy.

She was jailed on $30,000 bail. At a court appearance this week, Tanner was advised of her rights and ordered to return to court Aug. 5. She has not yet filed an application for an attorney or entered a plea, the court clerk's office said.

Sheriff's investigator James Wynn said the baby has fetal alcohol syndrome. The baby was placed in a foster home with a caretaker experienced in dealing with addicted infants.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists the syndrome as the leading preventable cause of mental retardation and physical deformity. The severity of her disability won't be known until she is older.

 

[dandy]

what a sad story.



raises some interesting questions, though...

 

[aussiedge]

right...that women is a loser...some ppl shouldn't have kids

 

[80sU2isBest]

That woman ought to be locked up for ever.

 

[verte76]

I hate it that anyone would do that to their own child. This really pisses me off.

 

[nbcrusader]

I'm would be surprised if this didn't happen more frequently.

 

[redkat]

I'm would be surprised if this didn't happen more frequently.

It does happen more frequently. I think it's more often other drugs though and it usually doesn't make the papers. So sad

 

[dazzlingamy]

I just dont understand some people. You have a life form growing inside of you. Are you that selfish, stupid and slef obsessed to not take better care of yourself when you are growing something that is DEPENDANT on you.

I think she should never have that child back. She can go to jail for some piss poor amount of time, while the child grows up with the love and care it SHOULD have recieved while it was growing inside of her.

Those foster families make me shiver. I think the whole system needs an overhaul. I know that probably 80% of foster families are good caring families with loads of love, but those 20% of complete fuckers ruin it for everyone
(i know from experience, one of my best friends was a foster child...and the things she went through )

poor little bubby

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

The fact that any idiot off the street (or otherwise) can have a baby just makes me go nuts. What a jackass. I hope her ass gets thrown in jail for a good long time.

 

[XHendrix24]

People like this should be spayed.

 

[VertigoGal]

That's pretty disgusting.

 

[melon]

People like Melissa should have been aborted.

Melon

 

[joyfulgirl]

No, people like Melissa needed help long before this.

 

[nbcrusader]

Interesting twist of issues here:


She chooses to polute her body with alcohol, and we say it is bad.

She chooses to eliminate the child from her body, and we would cheer on that right.

 

[Irvine511]

Interesting twist of issues here:


She chooses to polute her body with alcohol, and we say it is bad.

She chooses to eliminate the child from her body, and we would cheer on that right.

what a wonderful simplification!

one has nothing to do with the other.

 

[pax]

...annnnnnnnnnd it took less than a full page for this to devolve into an abortion debate!














Good job, kids.

 

[deep]

a lot of conceptions begin with an assist from alcohol

but, after that the health of the baby is paramount

 

[Numb1075]

I'd like to kick her in the teeth

other people who do absolutely everything right during pregnancy end up with complications to the child.

Makes me ill

Did I mention I wanted to kick her in the teeth ?

 

[Irvine511]

...annnnnnnnnnd it took less than a full page for this to devolve into an abortion debate!

just let it be known that it is almost always the pro-life/anti-choice crowd who seek any and all opportunities to jump back into those chilly waters.

 

[pax]

I didn't assign any particular blame for it.

Just saying is all.

 

[Irvine511]

I didn't assign any particular blame for it.

Just saying is all.

no worries -- i'm the one assigning blame. happy to do it.

 

[Numb1075]

But can I kick her in the teeth?

 

[melon]

I wonder if she'll need a DNA test or 12 to prove who her "baby daddy" is?

Melon

 

[U2Girl1978]

She shouldn't be allowed to have any more babies to be honest.

If your that reckless and stupid get your tubes tied.

This past weekend, there was this mother who had a baby where I work. The mom is a crack addict and an alcoholic. This is her 9th baby.

I'm seriously disgusted with people.

 

[nbcrusader]

just let it be known that it is almost always the pro-life/anti-choice crowd who seek any and all opportunities to jump back into those chilly waters.

Just an opportunity to compare issues.

Much easier to say "wonderful simplification" and point fingers.

 

[Irvine511]

Just an opportunity to compare issues.

Much easier to say "wonderful simplification" and point fingers.

uh-huh.

play innocent, i'm not biting.

 

[beegee]

No, people like Melissa needed help long before this.

i agree.

this story is horrifying, this story is tragic, and this woman should be locked up for a long, long time.

but there seems to be absolutely no room here for compassion that this woman needs very serious help for a very serious disease.

 

[nbcrusader]

uh-huh.

play innocent, i'm not biting.

Nice. After you took the first bite.

If you don't want to look at the broader issue of personal choice (I didn't intend yet another abortion debate), that's fine with me.

 

[Irvine511]

Nice. After you took the first bite.

If you don't want to look at the broader issue of personal choice (I didn't intend yet another abortion debate), that's fine with me.

i haven't said a word about abortion -- only that there are people in here who will take any and all opportunities to bring it up, even when it has nothing to do with the issue at hand unless one is willing to make radical, logically absurd simplifications. my statements were about your bridging of the issues, not the issues themselves.

and you're using terms like "personal choice" or "She chooses to eliminate the child from her body, and we would cheer on that right" that are clearly inflammatory.

and, again, i'm not debating abortion.

i'm debating both your logic and your intentions.

 

[80sU2isBest]

i agree.

this story is horrifying, this story is tragic, and this woman should be locked up for a long, long time.

but there seems to be absolutely no room here for compassion that this woman needs very serious help for a very serious disease.

She is an adult. She knows there are programs out there to help. But no one's going to force her to get help; she needs to decide to do it. She never did that. She is the offender in this case, not the victim.