Pubdate: Sun, 14 Feb 2016
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2016 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: Jennifer Brown

EPILEPTIC INFANT RECEIVES HEMP OIL

Parents of 2-Month-Old Girl in ICU Start Her Treatment

A baby girl who began having life-threatening seizures within days of 
her birth is receiving hemp oil while in the neonatal intensive-care 
unit at Children's Hospital Colorado, her mother says.

Amylea Faith Nunez's parents drove to Colorado Springs to buy the 
liquid form of marijuana last week after they say neurologists at 
Children's said they could give it to their daughter. The 2-month-old 
girl took her first dose Thursday froma tiny syringe her mother 
squirted into her mouth.

Hospital staff does not "prescribe or recommend" medicinal marijuana, 
which is not FDA approved, hospital officials said in a statement. 
Children's spokeswoman Elizabeth Whitehead said the hospital could 
not comment on any specific case because of patient privacy laws.

But Amylea's parents, Ernie and Nicole Nunez, said the hospital gave 
the family permission to give their baby two doses each day inside 
the neonatal intensive-care unit. Doctors and nurses cannot 
administer the oil or even touch it, Nicole said.

She said the hospital's neurology team turned down her initial 
requests to start Amylea on Charlotte'sWeb oil containing CBD, a 
component of marijuana that does not get users high but that some 
believe helps treat epilepsy.

After asking for weeks, Nicole said, hospital officials allowed her 
to start the treatment last week. Her daughter also was enrolled in a 
research study for families who choose to provide marijuana oil to 
children with epilepsy.

Whitehead said that "if a family makes the tough decision to explore 
the use of medical marijuana," the hospital will continue to provide 
care for the child.

"Most of these families have children with very complex medical 
needs, and Children's Colorado wants to continue to see them, help to 
monitor them and be on the lookout for potential adverse side 
effects," she said.

Amylea, who was born Dec. 7 in New Mexico, was found unresponsive in 
her crib within days. She began seizing every four hours, then every 
two and then every 30 minutes. One seizure lasted 66 minutes, and 
seizures have twice stopped her heart. Multiple medications 
prescribed in Albuquerque and Denver have not stopped the seizures.

"She is a very rare case," said Nicole, who believes Amylea might 
have had seizures in utero. "Each seizure she has could potentially kill her."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom