Several families are in the process of suing the owners of a North Hall daycare who have been charged with giving youngsters in their care Benadryl and melatonin, according to the Gainesville lawyer representing them.
“Weaver Law currently represents nine families that had children negatively affected by the actions taken at this daycare and will be filing separate lawsuits for each; all suits should be filed in the near future,” attorney Mike Weaver said Wednesday afternoon in a news release. “We have had contacts from an additional six families thus far and anticipate that we will be accepting additional cases in the coming days.
We have found recent cases with similar fact patterns (daycares dispensing Benadryl and melatonin to young children while at daycare to sedate them thus making them easier to control—without the parent’s knowledge or consent) in Lynwood, Washington in 2023, in Manchester, New Hampshire in 2023, and in Nashville, Tennessee in 2024. In the Tennessee case an infant died because of an overdose of Benadryl.”
Weaver included the following in the news release:
In a MedicalNewsToday article dated 7/21/23 it states:
-The active ingredient in Benadryl is an antihistamine call diphenhydramine. This ingredient is also found in many cough and cold products.
Benadryl’s dosage guidelines for Children’s Benadryl Dye-Free Allergy Liquid state: Under Age 2-Do Not Use; Age 2 to 5-Do Not Use Unless Directed By A Doctor.
-According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, cough and cold products containing decongestants or antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine, can cause severe and potentially fatal side effects in children under 2 years old, including convulsions and a rapid heart rate.
-Benadryl may cause drowsiness in children, but caregivers must never use Benadryl to make a child sleepy.
-FDA guidelines warn of serious and potentially fatal side effects for children under 2 years old who consume products, such as Benadryl, that contain antihistamines.
-Other possible side effects of Benadryl include: sleepiness, restlessness, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, sore throat, dry mouth, stomach discomfort, nausea or diarrhea.
“Many of our clients have children that are under age 2 that were being kept by Ms. Young and Ms. Edge,” Weaver said. “These parents are traumatized after having learned this has happened to their children. Many of their children are still experiencing night time restlessness and night terrors that were not evident prior to attending this daycare. The parents are also concerned about the possible long-term effects of their young children being given these drugs, in what they believe, were toxic levels. Studies show that there can be lingering sedative effects in young children, which can slow down a child’s reflexes and impair their motor skills, from being given Benadryl. Melatonin can cause side effects like drowsiness, headaches, dizziness, mood disturbances, nightmares and bedwetting; a melatonin overdose can cause extreme lethargy, unresponsiveness, and trouble breathing.”
Weaver went on to say that his firm’s information is that there were between 20 and 25 kids attending this daycare, that Ms. Young and Ms. Edge were the caregivers and that Mr. Young certainly was aware of the situation, that they were not complying with state licensing requirements for daycares servicing six or more children and that they were using sedatives to control the children. “The state of Georgia has laws that strictly regulate licensed daycare facilities and also forbid unlicensed daycares from operating that have more than 6 children attending–all in an attempt to avoid outcomes like this one.”