A baby has died after his grandfather decided to give him a sip of an alcoholic drink at an event celebrating him turning one month old.
Mother Wen Huang and her husband had been trying to have children for over three years before Huang became pregnant, in Beijing, China.
Grandfather Weng Weng was making a toast at a banquet for his grandson’s first month celebration, which in Chinese tradition is meant to celebrate a new addition to the family and give good blessings to the child.
One of the many relatives who were invited suddenly joked that Weng was not allowed to drink unless the baby had some too.
“The child does not drink, and the grandfather has no drink afterwards,” the relative said according to Sin Chew Daily.
1-month-old baby dies on full month celebration after grandfather gives him alcohol.https://t.co/Cp8sdyIZhU pic.twitter.com/Utbho8LbSd
— Yahoo Singapore (@YahooSG) July 16, 2019
Weng was understood to be drunk and wanting to “save face” so he allegedly poured a cup of alcohol and gave the infant a sip.
Huang became very angry when she witnessed her son drinking and tried to take him back into her arms. The baby cried and its mouth smelled of alcohol when Huang took the baby into a private room.
1-Month-Old baby dies on full month celebration after grandfather gives him alcohol https://t.co/ZIqHIRxsvr 来自 @yahoosg
— wang (@992596909) July 17, 2019
After about half an hour the baby stopped breathing and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Health professionals spent hours trying to revive him but ultimately failed to save his life.
1-Month-Old baby dies on full month celebration after grandfather gives him alcohol https://t.co/AstJcDyd1X via @Yahoo
— Eric Cheng (@yperic) July 16, 2019
The doctor confirmed the infant died from an allergic reaction to alcohol.
“Babies can’t drink alcohol,” the doctor told the family, according to Sin Chew Daily. “How can you make a joke with the child’s life?”
A man gave alcohol to his 1-month-old grandson. The baby died.https://t.co/L8v0QQGEKB
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) July 18, 2019
Los Angeles County doctor Taylor McCormick confirmed baby bodies seem to digest alcohol faster than larger adults.
“Infants appear to metabolize ethanol faster than adults,” McCormick said in a study titled Ethanol Ingestion in Two Infants Under 2 Months Old. “It is likely that this accelerated metabolism is the result of different elimination kinetics.”
Ethanol Ingestion in Two Infants Under 2 Months Old: A Previously Unreported Cause of ALTE http://t.co/t9g2M2YV
— ACNP (@ACNPed) February 1, 2013
He also revealed giving alcohol to babies can produce similar effects to what adults experience in larger doses.
“Ethanol intoxication in infants produces similar clinical effects as seen in adults: central nervous system and respiratory depression,” McCormick said.
Alcohol poisoning in babies can cause difficulty breathing, reduced activity, and seizures according to Yahoo! Lifestyle. A lack of oxygen from breathing difficulties can also lead to brain damage.
#Alcohol can be a dangerous poison for children. #Children who drink alcohol can have seizures and coma and could even die. Learn more: https://t.co/ObfVvgVb2Q #PreventPoison #TipoftheDay pic.twitter.com/H1NYJ3P92c
— Poison Control (@NationalPoison) September 4, 2018
Hand sanitizers do contain alcohol and should be stored out of sight and out of reach of #children. https://t.co/3dh4jLSBmG #safety
— Poison Control (@NationalPoison) September 30, 2016
Anyone who believes they have been poisoned can seek help from the National Capital Poison Center by phoning 1-800-222-1222 or visiting triage.webpoisoncontrol.org
If it is a life threatening emergency dial 911.
