Breastfeeding Baby Overdoses: Mom Allegedly Kills 4-Day-Old Son By Snorting Drugs And Smoking Meth

A breastfeeding baby overdoses and dies after his mother had a large amount of hydrocodone in her system. The incident occurred at a West Fargo hospital on June 13 when her infant son, Avery, was just 4-days-old.

Inforum reports that Reanne Pederson, 32, has pleaded not guilty in the Cass County District Court for her role in the negligent homicide, which is a Class C felony. She also pled not guilty of ingesting methamphetamine, a Class A misdemeanor.

Pederson is accused of snorting hydrocodone before nursing the infant.

If convicted, the Pederson could spend five years in prison.

It’s also believed that part of the reason that the breastfeeding baby died was because Pederson allegedly smoked meth just before Avery’s delivery.

In a detailed report covered on WDAY 6 News, Pedersen fell asleep for about an hour-and-a-half around 11 p.m. on June 13. When she woke up, her son was unconscious and unresponsive, according to court documents.

While the mom was breastfeeding, she placed a u-shaped pillow around her for support; she fell asleep with the baby. When she awoke, Avery wasn’t responding. She thought she’d smothered her son, as a police affidavit reveals.

After failed attempts to resuscitate Avery, he died on June 14.

Furthermore, the affidavit explains that a West Fargo detective interviewed a doctor “who said that the effects of the hydrocodone would be substantially heightened by snorting it, and would make the user drowsy and dizzy, with labored breathing.”

With those symptoms, it creates a deadly combination for a nursing child.

Witness Robbie Lee told West Fargo police that Pederson smoked methamphetamine days before she gave birth to Avery.

Avery posted a message on her Facebook page in honor of her son.

“My Avery Keith. I will hold you in my heart while Jesus holds you in his arms. I love you mister!”

Attempts by news sources to reach Reanne Pederson for comment haven’t been returned. On Thursday, a warrant for her arrest was issued.

Cass County prosecutor Ryan Younggren says the time lapse from the child’s death to the filing of Pederson’s charges was appropriate.

“We were certainly reviewing all the information and finding out as much as we could about the case,” Younggren says.

According to the report, Younggren explains that negligent homicide is the “least severe felony charge available in North Dakota in a homicide case.”

[Image via Inforum]