Mass. Grandmother Accidentally Fed Baby Methadone, Police Say

LINCOLN, Neb. (CBS) – A 14-month-old baby boy is recovering after his grandmother mistakenly fed him methadone from a baby bottle in the middle of the night, authorities say.

Police in Lincoln, Nebraska, said 48-year-old Rose Rej, of Whitinsville, Massachusetts, was visiting her grandson for three weeks. She reportedly keeps her methadone inside baby bottles, and police said she made a dangerous mistake early Tuesday morning.

"When she awoke at approximately 1:30 a.m. to feed the child, she grabbed the wrong bottle," police said in a statement. "It wasn't until the child was found in distress that she realized her mistake."

Police were called just after 8 a.m. and found the child unresponsive. He's now responding positively to treatment in the hospital, police said.

Methadone is used to treat narcotic drug addiction and can lessen withdrawal symptoms.

Rej has been cited for child abuse. The baby boy is in the custody of the state until an investigation is complete.