Oklahoma Day Care Owner Allegedly Admits to Drugging Infants to Make them Sleep

An Oklahoma day care shut its doors, and its owner could face felony charges after she allegedly admitted to drugging children to make them sleep.

According to reports, a former employee of Sue's Day Care in Durant reported to authorities that he or she had witnessed the facility's owner, BeverlySue Stair, and her staff members giving Benadryl to infants and young children. Benadryl, a common over-the-counter allergy medication, is known forcausing marked drowsiness. While Child Protective Services and the Bryant County Sheriff's Office investigated the claims, the requested that Stairclose the facility. She did so voluntarily, but reopened two days later. Now, CPS has again requested that the day care voluntarily shut down. As ofthis writing, Sue's Day Care is closed pending the investigation.

A Bryant County Sheriff's Office investigator told reporters that staff members have admitted to giving the Benadryl to children at the direction of theday care owner. The detective says that they have discovered 7 young victims so far. The mother of one of the allegedly drugged babies told reportersthat her 8-month-old son would come home from the facility so sleepy that she would have to wake him up between bites of his dinner, and that he wouldthen sleep from 6:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. She said his sleepiness was so pronounced that she was considering taking him to the emergency room whenshe received word from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services that the facility was under investigation for allegedly drugging the children.

Benadryl is a brand name for the antihistamine diphenhydramine. Diphenhydramine is also the key ingredient in many over-the-counter sleep aids. Benadrylis not to be given to children under 12, because it can cause the infant or child to stop breathing. Even Children's Benadryl is formulated for childrenaged 4 to 11, and its packaging specifically states "do not use" for children under 4 years old.

Stair is not the first caregiver to be accused of giving infants Benadryl to cause them to sleep. In fact, some parents use Benadryl as a "tried and true"method for inducing sleep without realizing the risks:

• In 2000, a 1-year-old girl died after her babysitter gave her dyphenhydramine.
• In 2001, a 3-month-old girl died at a day care after being given a lethal dose of Benadryl.
• That same year, a 5-month-old girl died after a babysitter gave her generic diphenhydramine.
• In 2002, a 2-month-old boy died at a day care after being given a combination of Benadryl and cold medications.
• In 2011, a 5-month-old boy died after a babysitter gave him Sominex, a sleep aid containing diphenhydramine.
• In 2013, a 6-month-old boy died after his mother gave the teething infant Benadryl.
• Also in 2013, a 4-month-old girl died at a day care where the owner was giving infants Benadryl to help them sleep.

The Bryant County Sheriff's Office is recommending to the district attorney that child abuse charges be filed against the Durant day care owner.