A woman who made headlines last year when she was jailed to protect the health of her unborn baby after admitting to a daily heroin habit is in back in the news.
In 2016, Alexandra Laird, 21, gave birth to a daughter in that was found to be addicted to opiates. The move to incarcerate Laird for the duration of her pregnancy was controversial, AL reports.
The newborn was in the ICU for a month to be treated for withdrawal and Laird admitted that she used heroin throughout her pregnancy.
Laird was arrested again in August 2016 for failing to appear at court to face child endangerment charges, and she was pregnant again.
"I'm doing my damndest to try to prevent any further damage to this child, since it's obvious the mother doesn't seem to care,'' Pleasant Grove Police Lt. Danny Reid told a judge at the time, according to Newser.com.
Laird was ordered to jail for the duration of the second pregnancy after admitting to continued heroin use, but Laird’s doctors were able to keep her in the hospital until she gave birth.
When she delivered the baby on Tuesday, lawyers moved to have her released on bond to be sent to a detox program.
Heroin addiction has become a problem in Palm Beach County, with the Post Investigation exposing how 216 people died of heroin-related overdoses in one year.
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