The mother of an infant who died after ingesting a sedative drug in Burlington County has been charged with manslaughter, authorities said.
Vanessa Hampton, 32, of the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, was arrested by Philadelphia police last week. In addition to the manslaughter charge, she is also facing the third-degree offense of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release on Thursday.
Hampton’s 10-month-old son was found unresponsive at a home in Medford in November 2022, officials said. After police arrived, the boy was rushed to Virtua Hospital and later Philadelphia Children’s Hospital, where he died about a week later, authorities said.
An autopsy determined the boy died from intoxication from a drug called Xylazine. The medicine is used as a sedative, muscle relaxant and painkiller for animals and is not approved for human consumption by the FDA.
Last year, the FDA announced plans to restrict the unlawful import of the medication following numerous reports that fentanyl and heroin were being laced with it, leading to fatal overdoses.
Hampton is still in the custody of the Philadelphia police and is awaiting extradition to Burlington County.
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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.
