Five premature babies were poisoned with morphine at the Ulm University Hospital. A warrant has already been issued against a suspect nurse.
- In December 2019, five premature babies at Ulm University Hospital suffered from breathing problems at the same time.
- An investigation indicated morphine administered to all five babies.
- A 28-year-old nurse from the hospital was suspected.
Update from February 3, 2020, 6:20 p.m .: Investigators in the case of the five poisoned babies in the Ulm University Hospital are again empty-handed. The suspected nurse was released from custody on Sunday. This is announced by the public prosecutor's office in Ulm in a press release.
The woman had come under suspicion of having been found to be in need of help after a syringe was found at her workplace which, according to initial examinations, was said to contain breast milk containing morphine.
Poisoned babies in Ulm university clinic: suspects released after further investigation
A more precise analysis rebutted this suspicion, however, and the prosecutor's office responded immediately with the release of the woman. Prosecutor Christof Lehr expresses his regret for the illegally detained. The officials want to provide more information about the course and further steps of the investigation in a press conference on Tuesday.
Nurse is said to have poisoned five babies - mother complains: "I have goose bumps all over my body ..."
Update from January 31, 2020, 10.16 a.m .: Prof. Dr. Michael Bamberg is director of the university hospital in Tübingen. When asked by Bild , he commented on the case in Ulm . "You have to develop a fair amount of criminal energy to break through these strict requirements," said Dr. Bamberg Because the administration of drugs that contain the active ingredient morphine is actually strictly regulated.
"Morphine may only be given on a doctor's order ," he explains in the picture interview (behind the pay barrier). In addition, it must be possible to assign the withdrawal of the drug to a patient exactly, it continues. The German center for addiction issues said that morphine can quickly lead to an overdose and lead to nervous system paralysis . A fatal outcome is also likely.
University Hospital Ulm: A baby escapes the attack by accident
A sixth child almost fell victim to the poisoning attack . Dagmar Kirsch (30) is a mother of two. Their second baby should have come in Ulm Hospital to the world as it says over RTL.de in an interview. Only the fact that her son was born four weeks early prevented her baby from being affected by the morphine poisoning .
"I got goose bumps all over my body because I was thinking about him. That could have happened to us, ”she continues in the interview. Don't think at first that someone who specializes in small babies is capable of doing this.
Update from January 30th, 2020, 3:25 pm: So far, the suspects have not confessed. At the same time, the police keep further information on the nurse secret. The German Press Agency only reports of a young woman who is being held in custody for attempted manslaughter. According to the current investigation, there are no indications of further cases of poisoning at the newborn ward.
The police are also currently in contact with investigators from Marburg who have worked on a similar case in the past: in 2016, a nurse in the Hessian city administered sedative and anesthetic drugs to three premature girls without a medical reason. Three years later, she was sentenced to life in prison for attempted murder . The nurse's motivation for validity was said to have been to save the babies.
The investigation is just beginning. So it still needs to be clarified whether the syringe found in the cabinet actually comes from the nurse in custody or whether the actual perpetrator only placed it there.
The university clinic in Ulm was dismayed by the incident. "We have to assume that a crime was committed here with criminal energy," said the medical director of the children's clinic, Klaus-Michael Debatin, on Thursday. The medical director of the entire clinic, Udo Kaisers, apologized and announced that "hard" work would be done to restore lost trust.
Ulm: horror in university hospital! Nurse is said to have poisoned premature babies
First report of January 30, 2019: Ulm - It should have been a shock to the parents of the five premature babies when their babies suffered from life-threatening breathing problems at the Ulm University Hospital shortly after their birth. All premature babies were in one room on December 20, 2019 and had the same symptoms at the same time. The doctors initially assumed the cause was an infection, but urine samples refuted the suspicion.
The true cause is now known and a suspect has also been identified.
University Hospital Ulm: Five premature babies poisoned with morphine - that's how babies are doing now
The five premature babies were all poisoned with morphine . According to the Ulm public prosecutor and police, only three of them should administer the narcotic in the course of emergency care. However, urine samples confirmed that all five babies in the room were exposed to life-threatening amounts, which is why the clinic's officials filed a complaint on January 17.
There is also the all-clear regarding the health status of the babies: the hospital staff acted in time and was able to save all five premature babies . According to current estimates of the doctors it is also to no damage due to poisoning.
Evidence found: Police find suspect nurse
On January 28, the hospital was searched. The police finally found what they were looking for in a locker belonging to a nurse who was on duty at the prematurity ward : there was a syringe containing supposedly breast milk that, according to forensic investigations, showed traces of morphine in the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office. Whether the narcotic comes from the hospital's inventory remains to be checked, according to the Ulm senior prosecutor, Christof Lehr, who commented on the case at a press conference on Thursday.
The woman is currently in custody. According to the German Press Agency , she is accused of attempted homicide in five cases. There is currently no information about possible motives of the suspects, as the nurse currently disputes the act, according to Christof Lehr. On Wednesday, Udo Kaisers, Senior Medical Director, commented on the harrowing incident: "We are very sorry that such an incident occurred and we expressly apologize to the parents and children for it."
Joint press release by the #Staatsanwaltschaft #Ulm and the Ulm police headquarters: Application for a warrant for the arrest of a nurse from an infant ward in Ulm on suspicion of attempted manslaughter of premature babies in 5 cases
➡️ https://t.co/Mr36c0yMY2 pic.twitter.com/KOf4m7jdrG
In Germany, doctors are currently dealing with a completely different problem: the corona virus has arrived in Germany * - specifically, several people in the Munich area have become infected. The pathogen is said to have occurred in China for the first time.
* merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
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List of rubric lists: © dpa / Waltraud Grubitzsch
List of rubric lists: © picture alliance / dpa / Guido Kirchner