ISKANDAR PUTERI: A 31-year-old mother and her boyfriend were charged yesterday (Friday) after allegedly administering methamphetamine to her 16-month-old baby boy to induce sleep.
The woman was picked up at Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) on Dec 12 when she brought the boy to the hospital after he experienced a seizure and convulsion.
The arrest was made after the attending doctor found the infant to be meth-positive.
The 34-year-old boyfriend was arrested along Jalan Salleh here later that Tuesday.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Rahmat Ariffin said following the doctor's report, police arrested the infant's biological mother at HSA, and her boyfriend along Jalan Salleh. Both of them tested positive for methamphetamine.
The infant is still recuperating at HSA and is under observation.
Rahmat said the biological mother's family members are keeping an eye on his recovery and progress.
The couple was charged on Thursday (Dec 21) under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.
Under this section, it is an offence for anyone responsible for the care of a child to "abandon, neglect or expose the said child to danger so as to cause him/her physical or emotional injury".
The case is set for a hearing at the Johor Baru Session Court in January next year.
They were offered bail at RM6,000 each but failed to produce the amount.
The woman is held at Kluang Prison, while the man is behind bars at the Ledang Correctional Centre.
It is learned that after the Dec 12 arrests, police raided a flat at Pulai Utama in Kangkar Pulai, where the infant resided with his mother.
It is also learned that the man allegedly told police that the infant was administered drugs to help him sleep, but he was not aware of the consequences.
Infants who are administered drugs may face developmental delays and problems with motor and learning skills.
They may also lose their hearing and eyesight, potentially leading to death.