No one ever told 23-year-old Jeri Moss that putting too much water in her baby's formula could kill him.
She had used the money-stretching trick with her older child, 18-month-old Yasmine with no problem.
On Tuesday, 5-month-old La'Damian Barton had a seizure and stopped breathing as his mother wheeled him into a Tampa, Florida grocery store.
Moss performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but the infant still wasn't breathing when he arrived at University Community Hospital.
After two days on a ventilator, the baby is improving and is expected to be released in a day or two.
He was diagnosed with water intoxication and malnourishment.
Moss agreed to share her story in hopes of warning other parents that water can kill.
She was just trying to stretch the eight to 10 cans of formula she got each month through the Women, Infants and Children program, not harm her baby.
Moss really needed about 15 cans, she said, but couldn't afford $16 to $18 for each.
"I'm really, really tight, and this is all I had," she said.
"This is a very serious situation, especially in thin economic times," said James Orlowski, chief of pediatric medicine at University Community Hospital.
He said infants on formula or breast milk should receive no additional water until they are about 10 months old.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement