Shock over fatal baby poisoning

Ilisapeti died in hospital after suffering seizures, and police believe she may have been given adult heart medication. Photo / Supplied

A young mother has spoken of her horror at learning her son may have given her seven-month-old baby a fatal dose of her terminally-ill grandmother's heart medication.

The mother later watched helplessly as her little girl Ilisapeti had multiple seizures, then died after she was rushed by ambulance to hospital.

Police said yesterday that the baby's death and a third sibling's subsequent poisoning were being investigated.

Detective Senior Sergeant Karl Thornton said Ilisapeti's death was initially believed to be a case of sudden infant death syndrome.

But concerns were raised when ESR toxicology results revealed traces of adult medication in her stomach.

"We're focusing on how the seven-month-old ingested the medication," he said.

Mr Thornton said the girl's 22-month-old sister was also treated in hospital after it was suspected she had also ingested medication in late April.

"We're trying to confirm if the older sister swallowed similar pills. At this stage we are keeping an open mind as to what might have happened.

"We are not in a position to confirm any details about either incident at the moment."

Child, Youth and Family have taken the two other children from the mother's care.

The 23-year-old solo mother, originally from Rotorua, said the drama started when Ilisapeti, her youngest child, began having a seizure at the Morrinsville home they share with the woman's two other children, a teenage cousin and their grandmother, who has terminal bowel cancer.

"I went crying to my grandmother not knowing what to do and I asked her 'what's wrong with baby? What do I do?'

"To the best of my grandmother's knowledge the best thing to do was to ring an ambulance and take her to hospital."

The baby was admitted to Waikato Hospital early in the morning, but had several more seizures.

She died the next day.

"She was a gorgeous baby and of all the children I had she was the easiest," she said. "I told my family I was glad they weren't there to watch me mourn ... I still have my moments now where I feel isolated without her."

The woman received a preliminary report saying her daughter had died of acute heart failure and had ingested a toxic substance.

A turquoise-coloured substance - the same colour as her grandmother's heart pills - was found in Ilisapeti's stomach.

More drama followed for the mother when her 22-month-old daughter was taken to Rotorua hospital in late April.

The toddler collapsed after vomiting black phlegm.

While she has no evidence to prove it, the woman said her 4-year-old son may have gone into her handbag and taken some of her grandmother's pills.

When she found the pills, one was missing - "he could have given her one".

She said Child Youth and Family officials arrived a few days later to take her children away from her.

Mr Thornton said as an interim measure, the 22-month-old and the older sibling had been placed in CYF care for the course of the investigation.

Police had been interviewing the children's immediate and extended family and were working closely with CYF and hospital staff.

Waikato police communications manager Andrew McAlley said that if no grounds for prosecution were identified, the matter would go before the coroner.

Last year, Wellington coroner Garry Evans called for the Government to adopt legislation that would develop standards for child-resistant packaging - something parliament dismissed in 2007.

Four-year-old Callum Munro died after swallowing his mother's methadone tablets, and Mr Evans said the death could have been prevented if the pills had been in a childproof container.

An uncle of Ilisapeti's mother said she was a "fantastic mother" who deserved to be with her children.

He said the grandmother's medication, which included morphine tablets, powerful painkillers and heart pills, was kept within easy reach of her bed and could have been taken by the mother's son, whom he described as a "tutu" (mischief-maker).

He said the family were anxiously waiting for toxicology tests to come back but he was hopeful she could be reunited with her children soon.

"We have no indication with what is happening. It's frustrating - they are talking to all our family but we have nothing to hide.

"Our impression is we won't be charged, but until then CYF is saying we are unfit to be a family."