ND prosecutors charge woman with neglect for breast-feeding baby while drunk

By James Macpherson, Gaea News Network
Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Neglect charge alleges mom breast-feed while drunk

BISMARCK, N.D. — A North Dakota mother has pleaded not guilty to child neglect after prosecutors alleged she was drunk while breast-feeding her 6-week-old baby.

Prosecutor Carmell Mattison says alcohol was not the only factor in the felony charge against 27-year-old Stacey Anvarinia, who appeared in court Monday. She is free on bond.

Mattison says the mother “wasn’t in a position to care for the child properly.”

Anvarinia was arrested Feb. 13 after police answered a domestic disturbance call at her Grand Forks home. The prosecutor said officers witnessed Anvarinia breast-feeding the baby and asked her to stop because she was intoxicated.

Her attorney David Ogren says no blood test was taken and the charge could be difficult to prove.

Discussion

anon
August 25, 2009: 12:47 am

I heard from an expert at La Leche League that even when a mother is drunk - a harmful amount of alcohol does not reach the nursing baby. If they had given the baby a blood test, they would have found this mother did no harm to her child. This mother should have been warned, not prosecuted.

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