Sydney mum accused of poisoning 18-month-old son with epilepsy drug

A Sydney mum has been denied bail after allegedly poisoning her 18-month-old baby with a prescription drug. The 20-year-old woman is accused of giving his son high doses of an epilepsy medication that he didn’t need.

According to police, the child was admitted to a hospital in January after nearly dying from an overdose on Tegretol, which is used to treat epilepsy and neuropathic pain. He was not prescribed these drugs. He has since been released from the hospital and is currently in the care of relatives.

The unnamed mother was arrested at a home in Lurnea around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday. She was taken to the Liverpool Police Station and charged with seven counts of using poison to endanger life or inflict grievous bodily harm.

As per the investigation from the State Crime Commands Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad, the mother administered the drug to his son without a current prescription and contrary to medical instruction. She allegedly lied about the child suffering from epileptic fits to gain a prescription for the drug.

“The child is, from all reports, healthier now. The child is with other relatives at this stage and obviously hasn’t been with the accused for some time now,” detective chief inspector Brian Parker said. “What the doctors have implied is that there may be some cognitive impairment as a result of what we’re alleging. In terms of any long-term conditions the child may suffer, we may be looking at three to five years away before we know anything.”

The mother was initially denied bail before it was formally denied when she appeared at Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday. She will return to court on June 13.

Her lawyer, Ted Bramble, told media outside the court that her son was her “most prized possession” and that she wished to reconcile with him one day.

“The poor woman has been labouring under some loads emotionally,” he said. “The good thing is hopefully now she’ll get the help she much needs and eventually, hopefully, she and this little son can be reconciled. At the moment, that’s not possible.”