Unbelievable

This is a special kind of stupid, and just goes to show that some people shouldn't be allowed to reproduce. Here's the text:

A Dewey woman is being held on $30,000 bond after her arrest for allegedly giving birth while intoxicated.

Melissa Irene Tanner, 37, faces charges of child neglect.

Reportedly, Tanner gave birth to a baby girl on June 30 who was born with a blood alcohol content close to three times the legal limit set by the Department of Pubic Safety.

Reports indicate the baby was not breathing upon birth and had to be administered "Narcan" to counteract any narcotics that may have been present in the baby. After an emergency procedure by hospital staff, the child started breathing, reports indicate.

Tanner reportedly has six other children.

According to a July 11 probable cause affidavit filed in the case, Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies were alerted on June 30 at 11:35 p.m. that a woman who was possibly intoxicated had given birth at Jane Phillips Medical Center.

Upon arrival, deputies were informed that Tanner had arrived via ambulance after a reported fall from a porch, according to the affidavit. Her baby was later delivered at approximately 10:05 p.m. The infant reportedly weighed 6 pounds and 2 ounces.

Attending physicians reportedly told deputies that Tanner told them she had been drinking and that she and another individual consumed a case of beer. The affidavit states that Tanner also told hospital staff that she did not know that she was pregnant.

According to the affidavit, deputies reported that upon entering Tanner's hospital room, "a strong odor of an intoxicating beverage was immediately present upon entering the room." They further reported that when speaking to Tanner, "her speech was slurred or thick, (and) her eyes appeared slightly red."

Tanner reportedly told police that she considers herself to be an alcoholic and that she did not consider herself to be drunk at that time. According to the affidavit, she said she was drinking because she was stressed and had been having problems with her in-laws. When asked if she had been intoxicated at anytime during her pregnancy, she reportedly said "maybe a few times." She later said she was intoxicated twice a week during her pregnancy, the affidavit states.

A doctor's report on the baby as of July 5 reportedly indicated that the child's features were consistent with fetal alcohol syndrome and that the child is suffering from withdrawals indicating that it is addicted to alcohol.

According to the affidavit, the child has been moved from one foster home to another due to "the incessant crying" that has accompanied the infant. Eventually, the baby was moved to a caretaker that has experience dealing with addicted infants.

Reportedly, the range or extent of physical and mental damage from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome may only be determined as the child matures, but it is permanent, according to the Center for Disease Control. The CDC lists Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as the leading preventable cause of mental retardation and physical deformity, according to the affidavit.

Tanner has previous convictions in Washington County for domestic abuse, violation of a protective order, resisting arrest and pubic intoxication.

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Another article I read gave the baby's blood alcohol level as 0.21. That's tree-hugging drunk for most full-grown adults, much less a 6-pound baby. It's a wonder that baby didn't die. In Texas, your blood alcohol only has to be 0.10 for you to be legally intoxicated, and in some states, the limit is lower than that. There aren't enough words to express how very angry this makes me. That poor baby isn't going to have the chance in life that we'd hope all babies would have, a chance at a healthy, happy life. And she didn't choose that life, her dumb-ass mother chose it for her. Who the hell thinks it's OK to drink half a case of beer when you're about to give birth?! Oh, wait, she didn't know she was pregnant. She'd had six kids and couldn't recognize the signs? Please. I hope they throw the book at her.