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Vanessa Hampton, of the Frankford section of Philadelphia, was charged with second-degree manslaughter and drug possession, according to Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw alongside Medford Township Police Chief Arthur E. Waterman.
The baby boy ate an animal sedative — Xylazine — and died a week later, they said.
An investigation began in November 2022 after officers from the Medford Township Police Department were called to a residence for a report of an unresponsive infant.
The baby boy was taken to Virtua Hospital in Voorhees and then transferred to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He failed to regain consciousness and was declared dead approximately one week later, the prosecutor said.
An autopsy performed by the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide, concluding that the infant died from drug intoxication after being exposed to Xylazine, Bradshaw and Waterman said.
Xylazine is widely used in veterinary medicine as a sedative, muscle relaxant, and analgesic. In the United States, It is not approved for human consumption or medical treatment.
The FDA announced plans last year to restrict the unlawful import of Xylazine after reports that fentanyl and heroin were being laced with it causing fatal overdoses.
Based on the investigation, it is alleged that Hampton was responsible for exposing her child to the drug, which resulted in his death after being ingested, Bradshaw and Waterman said.
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