Wisconsin: Baby suffers brain damage after sleeping in parents’ bed US News
A guilt-ridden mother admits she and her partner blame themselves after falling asleep with her baby between them – potentially blinding and immobilizing the suffocated child.
Breanna Brown, 22, was woken up by baby Karvion Brown’s screams on May 3, so she got her son out of the cot in her bedroom before handing him over to her husband Ezell Brown, 23, to be fed before falling asleep again.
However, the mother of three was horrified when Ezell’s terrified screams woke her at 5am as her son had turned blue in the face and was having trouble breathing.
Breanna claims that the five-month-old baby fell asleep on the covers between the two and probably got tangled in the covers trying desperately to get to his bottle after Ezell fell asleep in the middle of breastfeeding.
The panicked parents immediately called an ambulance while blowing into Karvion’s mouth to help him breathe as the baby’s lips were “getting bluer and bluer by the second”.
Karvion was then quickly rushed to the hospital, where doctors fitted the baby with a breathing tube before taking him to a children’s hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA an hour later.
The full-time mom claims doctors confirmed Karvion was left without oxygen for about seven minutes in the ambulance alone and suffered four subclinical seizures.
Breanna claims Karvion initially had up to 16 seizures a day – and doctors worry he may now be blind and potentially suffering 75 percent brain cell death from lack of oxygen.
The mother admits she blames herself for being “mad” at her baby for crying and wanting to breastfeed, and that the last thing the baby might ever see could be him upset is because it wants its bottle.
She is now urging other parents never to sleep with their babies, saying, “If you love them, put them in their own beds.”
Breanna, from Newton, Wisconsin, USA, said: “When Karvion woke me up, I was really tired, so I nudged my husband and said, ‘Can you feed him?’ I just need a few minutes.”
“When Ezell woke me up later, he was lying at the end of the bed screaming, ‘Karvion isn’t breathing.’
“My son’s arms and legs were hanging backwards. I could see him turning purple and blue.
“Just before the paramedic went up the steps, my husband blew into his mouth and started gargling and his eyes started rolling.
“He let himself fall back into Ezell’s arms. You could just see his lips getting bluer and bluer by the second.
“He was probably trying to kick his legs, move his arms and wiggle for his bottle, so I think he pulled the blanket over his head and wrapped himself in it.”
“For me everything was black. All I knew was that my son needed help and I couldn’t give it to him. I just felt lost.
“Right now he hasn’t moved or opened his eyes or made any noise since they had their breathing tube removed on May 21.”
The mother claims that while doctors are unsure what the future holds for Karvion, medics have suggested the couple should consider whether this is the kind of life they want for their son.
Karvion is currently still in the hospital being treated for seizures and the struggling parents are now raising money on GoFundMe to help pay for their child’s treatment.
Breanna claims the heartbreaking experience left her feeling guilty – and is now advising other parents to sleep safe.
“Ezell has a really bad feeling of guilt and I keep telling him not to do it.” We are both equally to blame.
“I slept with Karvion all the time, but never in our midst.”
“But now, looking back and looking at it, I shouldn’t have done it from the start – we never should have gotten used to that.”
“As cute and cuddly as they look, I love them enough to put them in your crib.” If you really love them very much, please give them a kiss and a hug and put them in their crib.
You can donate to Karvion’s GoFundMe here.
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