Tot's meth test leads to arrest of mother

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Woman, 19, fails to make court appearance this week
BY ALEX FRIEDRICH
Pioneer Press

A sick, filthy and possibly jaundiced 11-month-old West Lakeland Township baby was taken from his mother earlier this month and placed in the care of child protective services, nearly nine months after authorities found a trace of methamphetamine in his body.
Ramsey County childprotection officials had been looking for the toddler and his mother, 19-year-old Lindsey Marie Adams, since March when county officials were awarded emergency custody of the baby boy after he tested positive for meth. It's unclear what prompted that testing.
Adams, who was arrested Jan. 15 on suspicion of endangering a child, failed to appear at a hearing scheduled Thursday, court officials say, and a warrant was issued in the case.
Attempts to locate Adams for comment were unsuccessful, and the Washington County Public Defender's Office would not release the name of her attorney to comment on her behalf.
According to the criminal complaint, an informant who tipped off investigators about their location this month said the child was sick and had skin that was yellowed, a sign of possible jaundice. The informant also said Adams and the boy's father had been physically fighting over a bag of meth in front of the child on Jan. 14.
When Washington County deputies entered Adams' Stagecoach Trail residence the next day, the complaint states, they found the baby in dirty clothing with a dirty diaper. Deputy Angela Hanson saw dried yellow mucus around the boy's eyes and in his nose.
Because the child's diaper needed changing, Sgt. Cheri Dexter reached for clean diapers out of a diaper box. When she opened the box, Dexter found a glass baby bottle with what looked like meth residue, as well as tubing and small plastic baggies, according to the complaint.
They sent the boy to Gillette Children's Hospital, and he is now in protective custody.
When deputies searched the mother's purse, they allegedly found three glass marijuana pipes with burnt residue, one and a half grams of marijuana in a small bag, two packs of rolling paper and a small bag of methamphetamine, the complaint states.
The Washington County Attorney has charged Adams with two counts of child endangerment, one count of child neglect and one count of fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, all felonies. The most serious charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The child's current condition was not available. Ramsey County officials said confidentiality laws prohibit them from releasing such information.
Washington County authorities said lab tests done after the boy was taken into protective custody did not find the drug, although they said those tests may not be conclusive.
It's also unclear how the baby was exposed to meth in March.
Deborah Durkin, who coordinates the methamphetamine program at the Minnesota Health Department, said babies can take in meth through breastfeeding if their mothers are on the drug. They also can absorb it when their mothers smoke or cook meth or when the babies crawl on surfaces where meth was once made.
Babies also can be born with meth in their bodies. The drug stays in the body for up to 48 hours after birth, but the damage could last for years.
Research on the subject still is slim. Durkin said a baby who tests positive for meth is not necessarily dependent or suffering great harm. Much depends on the dose. It also is difficult to sort out how much damage comes from meth compared to damage from alcohol and other substances that drug users often take while they're on meth, she said.
Durkin said metro-area hospitals and family agencies are seeing an increase in the number of mothers with meth-damaged children.
The problem "is not at all uncommon, and it's growing," she said.
Alex Friedrich can be reached at afriedrich@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-2109.