Mother arrested after her 7-month-old baby ingests fentanyl

A mother was arrested after her 7-month-old daughter was found unresponsive after ingesting fentanyl, given Narcan by doctors.

On June 30, the Cape Coral Police Department was called to the home of Patrina Gordon Miller, 30, after she found her daughter not breathing.

When officers arrived they found the baby lying unresponsive on the living room floor and began CPR until an ambulance arrived.

According to CCPD, the doctor determined that she had ingested an opioid, so a dose of Narcan was given.

Immediately after Narcan was given, the child cried and her pupils dilated. Further testing revealed that the child tested positive for fentanyl.

Dr. Timothy Dougherty is the Medical Toxicologist Director of the Emergency Department at Cape Coral Hospital. He explained that fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine, so it doesn’t take much in an adult, let alone a very small child if they ingest it.

He added that the baby is fortunate to be alive.

On July 16, police arrested Patrina Gordon Miller, stating she was “the caregiver for her 7-month-old daughter, and willfully or by culpable negligence failed or omitted to provide her with the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain her daughter’s physical or mental health. In so doing, Patrina Miller caused great bodily harm to her daughter.”

TJ Depaola, Pharmacy Manager of Cypress Pharmacy, said, “It’s very scary because it’s a strong, potent medication that one dose can be lethal to somebody that hasn’t been on it before.”

Miller faces charges of Neglect of a Child, a first-degree felony. She was transported to the Lee County Jail.

Miller is currently out on bail and the baby is recovering with other family members.