No prison for Pennsylvania mom whose baby died from drug-tainted breast milk

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (WPMT) -- A Pennsylvania mother who allegedly killed her young son by feeding him breast milk containing a deadly mix of drugs won't face jail time.

WPVI reported that Samantha Jones, 30, of New Britain Township, took a plea deal with a sentence of three years of probation and 100 hours of community service.

Jones' 11-week-old son died April 2, 2018. She later told investigators she was taking prescription methadone because of an addiction to painkillers, according to WPVI. Jones was approved to take the drug, which alone is not considered unsafe for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

Jones said that she was too tired to prepare formula for the baby on the day the child died, according to a probable-cause affidavit obtained by The Morning Call. After Jones woke up around 3 a.m. to the infant's cries, she decided to breastfeed him instead of going downstairs to mix a bottle.

Jones told investigators that she put him down around 6:30 a.m. and went back to sleep. An hour later, according to the affidavit, she awoke to find the baby's skin pale and a bloody mucous streaming from his nose.

The district attorney said the child died from a combination of methadone, amphetamine and methamphetamine transmitted through her breast milk.

The baby was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital.