3½-Month-Old Dies Of Electrocution

[Dakota Valkyrie]

A 3 ½-month-old girl died of electrocution early Friday morning after sleeping in a bed with her mom and another child in an apartment on Milwaukee's north side, officials said Sunday.

According to a report by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's office released Sunday:

Diamond Nicole McDuffie was put to bed at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday night. When the girl's mom came to bed about 10 p.m., the girl's two-year-old sister was also sleeping in the bed.

About 12:15 a.m. Friday, the mother woke up when she heard a thud. She found the Diamond Nicole "gasping for air" on the floor of the bedroom. The infant was lying between the bed and the wall in contact with metal coils of a baseboard heater on the floor. The heater was uncovered where the baby was lying and metal coils within the heater were exposed. The back of her head touched the metal bed frame.

"I noted that when I placed my hand both on the metal bed frame and any part of the baseboard heater, an electrical current was delivered to my hand," the investigator said in the report.

A We Energies employee said the metal leg of the bed frame touched an extension cord with an exposed wire. The wire was partly exposed because the metal leg of the bed had worn through it, the report said. The extension cord was connected to several electrical devices.
[...]

When the mom noticed the baby on the floor, she discovered that her cellphone battery had died and she ran to a neighbor's apartment to ask them to call 911. Residents tried to perform CPR on the girl. Firefighters noticed the baby had burns on her face and also tried to resuscitate her, but to no avail.

"The cause of death is 'low voltage electrocution' and the manner is 'accident,' " the medical examiner's office said in a news release.

The investigator said there was no evidence of drug or alcohol use, but noted the apartment, located in the 2800 block of W. Atkinson Ave., was "extremely dirty and cluttered throughout," had "extensive insect activity" and was full of dirty dishes and old food. The bedroom where the girl was found was "dirty and extremely cluttered with objects, garbage and toys," the investigator said.
[...]

The case was referred to the Milwaukee Bureau of Child Welfare.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwauk...150347175.html

[VAS1326]

First of all how come I don't have the WTF button yet lol? That smiley is crazy! I like it.

Anyways; why was a 3 month old sleeping in a bed anyways? Everyone knows it's not safe to just put a baby in a bed like that. What a sad accident that could and should have been avoided.

[HeatherHabilatory]

Maybe this will help save her 2 year old sister from a life of neglect.

Probably not. *sigh*

[malq]

I hit the WTF button, but I don't know what it did.

[kniption]

I hit the WTF button, but I don't know what it did.

I'm hoping that - if the comment writer's sound is up - it literally makes the spoken phrase "what the fuck" come out of their speakers...

[VAS1326]

I hit the WTF button, but I don't know what it did.

I made the comment of not being able to hit WTF about a minute before the button went active lol. So I jumped the gun.

[malq]

I'm hoping that - if the comment writer's sound is up - it literally makes the spoken phrase "what the fuck" come out of their speakers...

right! really loud and at work.

[LeaveMeBe]

I'm hoping that - if the comment writer's sound is up - it literally makes the spoken phrase "what the fuck" come out of their speakers...

I tried it and it didn't work.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

I tried it and it didn't work.

Sure it did. I see your name right there on the list.

[LeaveMeBe]

Sure it did. I see your name right there on the list.

Are you alright?

I meant I turned my speakers up and no voice came blaring out saying "WHAT THE FUCK?"

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Are you alright?

I meant I turned my speakers up and no voice came blaring out saying "WHAT THE FUCK?"

Ooops! My misunderstanding. I thought you meant the button click.

The sound portion only works if you have a Windows 95 system and smoke a lot of weed.

[moonlilly1981]

Put babies in cribs to sleep. Get up off your ass and clean your dirty hell hole of an apartment. *shakes head* Will people ever learn? It really isn't a difficult concept.

[LeaveMeBe]

Ooops! My misunderstanding. I thought you meant the button click.

The sound portion only works if you have a Windows 95 system and smoke a lot of weed.

All pot does is make me fall asleep quickly and more soundly than usual. Will Xanax work?

[Obsolete]

First of all how come I don't have the WTF button yet lol? That smiley is crazy! I like it.

Anyways; why was a 3 month old sleeping in a bed anyways? Everyone knows it's not safe to just put a baby in a bed like that. What a sad accident that could and should have been avoided.

I don't know any mother who hasn't slept with her baby at least once.

[kniption]

I tried it and it didn't work.

Turn your sound way way up and [click me]

[LeaveMeBe]

Turn your sound way way up and [click me]

I can only assume it is awesome because it came from you, but I'm at work and it's blocked so I'm going to have to check at home tonight and I'll get back to you. :)

[VAS1326]

I don't know any mother who hasn't slept with her baby at least once.

She put the baby to sleep in her bed so I doubt this was a one time thing. I didn't put my infants in my bed. It's not safe. The only time I ever slept with a baby is if I fell asleep with one on my chest sitting in the recliner. I never did it on purpose but was just so tired at 3 am.

This woman didn't fall asleep with her baby on her....the baby was in bed alone prior to her sister getting into bed with her and then her mother 2 hours later.

Maybe she didn't have a bassinet or crib but common knowledge that sleeping with a baby that small is not safe and this case proves it.

[Nell]

6 kids. Slept with all of them. It is easier to shove a tit in their mouth that way. All of them are alive. Ages 15, 12, 10, 8, 3, and 10 months.

I guess i am wildly unsafe.

[Aena]

6 kids. Slept with all of them. It is easier to shove a tit in their mouth that way. All of them are alive. Ages 15, 12, 10, 8, 3, and 10 months.

I guess i am wildly unsafe.

6 kids too, they at some point fell asleep with me. All mine are alive also, 22, 20, 14, 11, 10, 8. I remember falling asleep with my daughter on the couch once, I woke up and she had rolled down my arm and was underneath the coffee table, still asleep. Now I have a grandson too, my daughter would never allow him to sleep with her even though she was the oldest and seen the others sleep with me...smh. The only thing I hated was sometimes it was so hard to break them of the habit of sleeping with me. They STILL sneak out of their rooms and sleep in the living room after I fall asleep (11 yo, 10 yo and 8 yo), weird kids.

[Obsolete]

She put the baby to sleep in her bed so I doubt this was a one time thing. I didn't put my infants in my bed. It's not safe. The only time I ever slept with a baby is if I fell asleep with one on my chest sitting in the recliner. I never did it on purpose but was just so tired at 3 am.

This woman didn't fall asleep with her baby on her....the baby was in bed alone prior to her sister getting into bed with her and then her mother 2 hours later.

Maybe she didn't have a bassinet or crib but common knowledge that sleeping with a baby that small is not safe and this case proves it.

This case doesn't prove shit. Babies die in cribs too, does that mean cribs are unsafe? My son slept with me every night when he was a baby, my daughter slept in her crib every night. They're both still alive. Imagine that.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

This case isn't about co-sleeping. It's about a hazard in the home and the tragedy of such a small baby dying. The baby didn't get smothered by a floppy boob or a blanket. If mom had placed the baby on the floor and she scootched/rolled onto the bed frame she would be just as dead. If the 2yo had come in contact with it while playing on the floor, she would probably be just as dead too if she was unable to extricate herself.

I was shocked once in my 20's by an extension cord. To this day, if something about anything electrical looks hinky to me, out to the trash it goes. I'm very careful about where cords run and that they do not touch anything metal... even if the cord looks OK. I also con my hubby and kids into plugging things in for me, if I can LOL

Getting shocked hurts like a son of a bitch. I can't imagine the poor baby having no way to get away from it.

[VAS1326]

This case doesn't prove shit. Babies die in cribs too, does that mean cribs are unsafe? My son slept with me every night when he was a baby, my daughter slept in her crib every night. They're both still alive. Imagine that.

It's my opinion and I'm entitled to it. I'm glad you son was fine sleeping with you but that's not always the case. How about the parents who lost not one but 2 babies in 2 years by sleeping with them. I'm sure those babies were perfectly safe too. To me the reward is not worth the risk. A child is more likely to be accidently harmed when sleeping in a full size plush bed than a crib.

You seem to be taking my comment awefully personally. It was not personally directed at you. I do not agree with putting babies that small in a bed. I wouldn't co-sleep but know some people do and some people do it safely while others do not.

[Obsolete]

It's my opinion and I'm entitled to it. I'm glad you son was fine sleeping with you but that's not always the case. How about the parents who lost not one but 2 babies in 2 years by sleeping with them. I'm sure those babies were perfectly safe too. To me the reward is not worth the risk. A child is more likely to be accidently harmed when sleeping in a full size plush bed than a crib.

You seem to be taking my comment awefully personally. It was not personally directed at you. I do not agree with putting babies that small in a bed. I wouldn't co-sleep but know some people do and some people do it safely while others do not.

I didn't really take it personally, that's just my blunt personality shining through. Hopnestly, I don't think either option is better than the other, as parents it's our job to practice common sense and protect our children but each parent has a different opinion of what's right for their child. Sleeping with a baby isn't reckless or negligent in my opinion, living in a house full of garbage and unsafe heaters is.

[Nell]

Those people that had the two babies die where fucking retards. They slept in a plushy bed with a duvet, and the baby in the middle.

Every time i slept with my kids i was the only one in the bed. I used one pillow under my head and one blanket, a light one. If it was cold i wore socks.

You really shouldn't sleep with babies on the couch though. It is too easy for them to get smooshed in the crack.

[blacksheep]

Yes, Nell. A tight fitted sheet too.

[VAS1326]

I didn't really take it personally, that's just my blunt personality shining through. Hopnestly, I don't think either option is better than the other, as parents it's our job to practice common sense and protect our children but each parent has a different opion on what's right for their child. Sleeping with a baby isn't reckless or negligent in my opinion, living in a house full of garbage and unsafe heaters is.

Thanks for clearing that up since I really was not trying to offend you.

You make a very valid point, if some decides to co-sleep then it should be done safely. I do agree it was negligent that her house was trashed and for using unsafe heaters which were a risk in so many ways. I'm sure it's not common for a 3 month old to roll off the bed but some kind of precaution should have been taken to assure he didn't. Maybe she didn't know the heater was messed up but still depending how high her bed is a fall could hurt the child. I think she was careless all the way around.