When it comes to newborns, pediatricians and parenting experts alike stress the importance of safe sleep. Parents are advised against co-sleeping with their babies; instead, babies should be placed by themselves on a firm flat surface with no blankets, pillows, or other items. Tragically, a Pennsylvania mom was recently charged in her 2-month-old daughter’s death after allegedly co-sleeping while intoxicated.
Jenna Beachley, 25, of Middletown, Pennsylvania, is mourning the October 2024 death of her baby girl. Sadly, she also faces serious charges related to the incident. But regardless of the outcome in court, her life has been changed forever.
More from CafeMom: North Carolina Mom Charged in Baby’s Unsafe Sleeping Death
In October, police got a call about a newborn in cardiac arrest.
On October 12, Middletown Borough Police responded to a call about a 2-month-old baby girl in cardiac arrest. Beachley’s roommate called 911 shortly before 7 a.m. while the mom attempted CPR, Fox 43 News reported. The newborn was taken to Hershey Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Beachley reportedly went to a bar the night before.
While she was at the hospital, Beachley (and other witnesses) spoke to police. The bereaved mom said she went to a bar — where she consumed two or three shots and a 12-ounce can of beer — the previous night before breastfeeding her baby and going to sleep, according to ABC 27 News. Beachley’s blood alcohol concentration was .033 at the time.
According to the mom, she regularly co-sleeps with her baby.
Beachley reportedly told police she regularly sleeps with the baby in her bed, using blankets bunched up in a “nest” to cradle the girl, ABC 27 News reported. The mother said her baby slept on one end of the bed while she slept at the other. On that morning, however, the baby was not breathing when the mom woke up.
More from CafeMom: Mom Will Spend 65 Years in Prison After Claiming She Sometimes ‘Forgot’ To Feed 3-Month-Old Baby
An autopsy reportedly revealed Beachley slept on top of the newborn.
When she spoke to police, Beachley denied ever having rolled on top of her daughter when they co-slept. Unfortunately, the autopsy report painted a different picture. It showed the baby’s death was “believed to be a result of mother sleeping on top of child,” per ABC 27 News.
Now, the Pennsylvania mom has been charged in the co-sleeping death of her baby.
Beachley has been charged with two felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child following her daughter’s death, Fox 43 News reported. She was being held on an unsecured bail set at $25,000. A preliminary hearing was set for next week.
