Theories On What Happened to Caylee Part #5

[kk1012]

KC tries calling her mother, her father, hermother again - what would she have said had the calls been completed? The story may have followed a different path.

I agree with this 100%....I think Casey had a story ready to go had Cindy or George answered the phone.....whether it was the drowning story, or a kidnap thing...I don't know, I just think the flurry of calls to them around that time tells me she wanted to say something and when she thought about it, something made her abort those plans....like someone said, maybe she remembered about the drugs in Caylee's system...or remembered that they can prove someone died before being put in the pool...remember with all the internet searches in previous month's I really think she thought long and hard about this and was very familiar with LE techniques....and just couldn't come up with the perfect murder.......I think the fight with her and Cindy put it motion faster than Casey could come up with the perfect plan....remember, the whole scamming money thing was going on then too....Casey's grandmother was very upset about this and it probably made Cindy go nuts on her....so with all that going on, I think Casey reacted and figured she'd come up with a plan afterwards.....so I think she thought about getting rid of Caylee long ago, but certain events took it off the back burner and made it happen quicker.....

 

[carrie]

...just to provoke the thought...

Consider IF George's account was of 6/9...(be working late...blah, blah)

George's RARE cell call to Casey 6/16 @ 3:04PM (after Casey supposedly left for work) was perhaps about Cindy refusing to take care of Caylee

Recall the effects of the 6/15 between Cindy and Casey prolly carried over into the morning of 6/16. Cindy and Casey may not have been on speaking terms. Soo...perhaps before Casey left G&C's she asked George if he'd break the ice w/ Cindy 'bout keeping Caylee that night...and George called back @ 3:04PM to say he'd spoken w/ Cindy and she said NFW. We've seen Cindy's temperment haven't we...esp. after a fight w/ Casey...I can envision this happening.

Now that I believe we have George & Cindy's cell records and/or home phone records perhaps we can sleuth this out, eh?

This could possibly explain some of Cindy's actions and statements. If it dawned on her post 911 call, at some point, that KC had to have done this (IMO she realized it after the body was found), then she feels guilty for refusing to watch Caylee (if indeed that's what happened).

Add to that the argument that possibly set these events in motion. This would explain her desire to protect KC to a degree that goes beyond what most feel is normal/usual. Guilt. Perhaps.

 

[carrie]

Originally Posted by TexasLil
Bond,

Sometimes cold medicine, especially given in higher doses, can have an adverse effect. Perhaps rather than Caylee becoming drowsy the med turned her into a bouncing off the walls, crying screaming little girl and Casey couldn't handle it. I think that's where the duct tape came in definitely.

Lil

Hi Lil :wave:

I hadn't thought about that... Makes perfect sense to me.

Lil, you make a good point. Cold medicine often can have an adverse effect, in adults and children.

Once my ex MIL gave one of my daughters a dose of cold medicine which contained diphenhydramine (same active ingredients as benadryl, dramamine, OTC sleep aids like unisom, and many cold meds) with one of her teaspoons. It was a rather large teaspoon and measured 2.5 times an accurate teaspoon, one of which was the correct dose.

I don't know why she didn't use the measuring teaspoon I left in the diaper bag - go figure. Anyway, the normal dose made my daughter sleepy, the extra tsp. and a half given that day made her hyper and agitated. She was up all night talking about things crawling on her and across the bed (things that weren't there). It scared me so much I called the doctor, who told me don't worry it will wear off, she's not in any danger.

My point is,

1- If KC gave Caylee too much OTC cold medicine, it could have made her either very hyper or very sleepy.

2- I doubt seriously if just a double dose of something like that would kill a child, in and of itself anyway. (I'm a nurse BTW ) It would likely take a lot higher dose, like a whole bottle.

3- However, it could be a mitigating factor if the child was very sleepy and then had duct tape interfering with her air supply, even if it was on her mouth and not her nose, because she wouldn't perhaps have the natural reaction where one fights to breathe, or concentrates on breathing .

4- Another factor is if she was in the trunk. Many children suffocate in the trunks of cars without duct tape on their mouths and or noses or cold medicine.

Just food for thought, FWIW.

P.S. Poor baby. It's so upsetting to imagine these scenarios.

 

[BondJamesBond]

This could possibly explain some of Cindy's actions and statements. If it dawned on her post 911 call, at some point, that KC had to have done this (IMO she realized it after the body was found), then she feels guilty for refusing to watch Caylee (if indeed that's what happened).

Add to that the argument that possibly set these events in motion. This would explain her desire to protect KC to a degree that goes beyond what most feel is normal/usual. Guilt. Perhaps.

Precisely, Carrie :thumb:

Cindy accepting Casey's guilt is to accept her own. That is, no doubt, fueling her enpassioned defense of Casey.

 

[TakeNote]

I believe Casey premeditated this murder. Casey drowned poor Caylee in the swimming pool (Cavader Dogs Hit the pool & Ladder). Casey then move Caylee's body to the toy house in the backyard (Cavader Dog's other hit) to hide her body. Casey then goes into the home grabs garabage bags, & laundry bag. This is where I think she put Caylees body in the trash bag, then covering it with the laundry bag to carry it into her bedroom (Cavader Dogs hit on the bedpost) this is where she placed the duct tape around Caylees head and added the heart shaped sticker on the tape. Then she was able to remove Caylees body from the home with out bringing attention to her crime. Casey then placed the laundry bag in the trunk of her car. I believe Casey waited several days to get rid of Caylee out of her trunk. She did that the day she borrowed the shovel. By that time I believe the smell of decomp was probably already in the car. I believe how the chloroform got into the trunk was Cindy trying to cover up the smell of decomp. Cindy washed clothing that came from the car. The 9-1-1- call from Cindy I believe that night was genuine then after that all it was Cindy covering up a possiable crime and Lee being apart of that. Lee cleans off Caseys laptop, Cindy washes clothing from the car, she gives the wrong brush to the FBI intentionally. I believe sometime after the 9-1-1- call Casey may have broke down and told them the truth about what happened to Caylee. Cindy made the statement that Casey always cracked with the truth under pressure. Cindy does not represent herself as being a grieving grandmother in my opinion. Cindy is just as messed up as her daughter. I would love to see charges brought against Cindy Anthony. I believe Cindy has shown so much deception and obstruction of justice. She has accused so many innocent people of this crime knownly that her daughter did it. So I go right back to the house as being the crime scene. One thing that bothers me here is that Casey claimed that Cindy choked her the day of the fight. Could Casey have been setting her mother up for this crime and is her defense trying to set up one of them. I believe Casey would do that to them. I feel George has tried to be truthful through out the beginning but Cindy has muzzled the poor man from speaking the truth

i have not read or heard that.....a link for the info ? thanks

 

[TakeNote]

I was not sure where to put this ... but since I couldn't find a "general theory" thread ... I decided to place it here ... I was burdened by this last night and took a lot of time to write it out.

I venture to a very dark place to get where I need to go here. I shudder to think that I may actually put myself in KC's place by the time I am finished, even though it is of course, only an opinion! … please bear with me.
http://www.wesh.com/download/2008/1126/18155354.pdf
First of all … I share Casey’s birthday, March 19th … I can’t tell you how many times, in my youth (especially in my late teens and early twenties!!! ) that my birthday was used as an excuse for a “holdover” of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations for me and many of my friends. Even after I became a young mother, my friends would incessantly call and ask if I could meet them out … early morning of the 18th , they would say, … “Come meet us, It will be your birthday at midnight” or later the next day/night … “It is your birthday … you have to come out!”
In the days preceding her 22nd birthday, Casey was being asked, by her friends, what she was going to do to celebrate. Unlike her 21st birthday, (which to many people, is a “hallmark” birthday – legal drinking age) when she was allowed to celebrate like there is no tomorrow … a real “blow out,” if you will, this year, her 22nd, she was expected to be more subdued … her mother would not be so permissive, letting her party all night. Now she is TWENTY-TWO and an adult. Therefore, she was expected to stay home and celebrate, modestly, with her family and young daughter. Casey was resentful … (by some accounts) she did not ask for this … if she had had her way Caylee would belong to some deserving, infertile couple and she would be free, as Nancy Grace would say, to “party hearty”!
So I am going to try to recreate the days leading up to her birthday and the infamous Google searches and beyond … in my cynical imagination ... this is what I believe that KC, in her supreme selfishness, might have thought
On March 17th, St Patrick’s Day … when all of her friends were out having fun … rubbing her nose in it, no doubt … I think she had begun to fantasize about getting rid of Caylee, maybe even her mom and dad too. She might have mused, “How could I get away with it?” She then Googled what was obvious to her … “neck breaking,” and then “self-defense,” and maybe at that point she remembered a funny little icon she had seen on Ricardo’s MySpace and decided to look up “Chloroform.” So intrigued by what she found, she looked up the ingredients for homemade chloroform … just for kicks, she told herself! Heck, she even misspelled it! She then thought … well, who could I blame this on and still maintain the appearance of a victim? Hmmm??
While at home, on March 18th, she watched One Tree Hill … it was the 100th episode … which had been hyped all week! In that episode, she was intrigued by the storyline of the child being kidnapped by a nanny … she immediately thought of the fact that she had been telling everyone that she had a nanny for Caylee … surely, if the fictitious nanny in this story could kidnap a child, then HER fictitious nanny could as well!! She made a mental note.
March 19th … KC’s Birthday … she was at home with “the kid” and her parents … it was her birthday but all anyone could talk about was how great Caylee was! It really pissed her off! She wanted to go out and celebrate her birthday with her friends, but instead she stayed at home, bound by her mother’s guilt … and her guilt as a "mother" … she was sick of it all. She thought, “All anyone cares about is Caylee. It’s MY birthday … and all they care about is HER … I have to get out of this somehow.” Even then, she is just venting … just thinking … and then maybe, she begins to have dark thoughts … hmmm ... ‘neck breaking’ … ‘call it self defense and they might believe me’ … ‘how do I get rid of the kid?’ … ‘Chloroform?’ … ‘blame it on the nanny?’ … 'like on One Tree Hill’ … ‘what was that?’ … 'I know it was the one hundredth episode' … 'how did it do down on that show? … I better find out … maybe that will be my way out' … 'the nanny' … 'yes, … the crazy nanny' … 'dyed the baby's hair' … 'uh huh' … 'that is right' … "the nanny took Caylee … she dyed her hair … and she is crazy … that is believable … right???"
Still, she does nothing ... she only takes note ... mentally ... she files it away ... just as she takes down her grandfather's checking account information ... the same day ... storing it for future use!

red bold by me
is that a fact for the date of march 18, 2008 is when the one tree hill aired? link to that would be great.....if so...wow.....just oh my....dots are connecting.....

 

[MarleneM]

red bold by me
is that a fact for the date of march 18, 2008 is when the one tree hill aired? link to that would be great.....if so...wow.....just oh my....dots are connecting.....

ABC's One Tree Hill

Season 5 Episode 12

Ep Title: "Hundred" (100th ep.)

Air Date: 3/18/08

http://www.tv.com/One+Tree+Hill/show/16942/episode.html?season=5
(scroll about halfway down the page)

 

[Chiquita71]

Your post is thought-provoking, Little Bitty 35. We'll never know how the Anthony family behaved when they were alone (with family only), but your description and theory probably comes close to some of their behaviors.

I'm reminded of a close friend of mine. She and I were friends even as preschoolers. I have a vague memory of observing her relationship with her mother at that time--and a much more vivid memory of seeing that relationship in later years.

Her mother wasn't the "charging bull" type like CA; her mother was more the narcissistic, con artist type. But, as you can imagine, it's so easy for a con artist type to get someone's goat every time, especially if the person they are in competition with is a child (my friend--the daughter). They had power struggles throughout my friend's life, all the way to the end when the mother died. And, lo and behold, one last, final, "I win!" point scored by the mother: she pulled a "Mommie Dearest" with her will. So my friend, unlike her sibling and some friends of the mother, inherited nothing. Nothing says "I don't like you" like leaving something to one sibling but not to the other.

So it was one long chess game between them. I think with Casey and CA it was also a chess game: Caylee, of course, was a chesspiece. When you win at chess, you knock over your opponent's king to show you won. Guess that makes Caylee CA's "king piece", and Casey "knocked her over" (IMO).

There is one thing, though, that might need to be added. It was only much later, in our adult life, that I was told by my friend that her mother tried to kill her on more than one occasion. That, at least, was my friend's perception. What happened was that apparently her mother became so frustrated with her (a toddler at the time) that she wrapped her hands around her neck and choked her. None of these attacks resulted in the child's death, but, SHEESH! Talk about harming a child, both physically and psychologically! (Is my friend "just fine" now? No, she's had to have counseling. But, like a decent person, she doesn't do things like kill kids. That's why, IMO, my friend is deserving of sympathy and Casey is deserving of none.)

We know CA has wrapped her hands around Casey's neck at least once. Speculation by me: Well, who's to say she hadn't gotten frustrated enough to have done something of the kind when Casey was a child and it would've been much, much, more terrifying? I mean, not only would such behavior traumatize a child, but it also communicates to them that it's OKAY to physically attack someone, including a person weaker than you.

We shouldn't forget that sometimes there is something in a person's (including a child's) personality that makes it difficult to bond with that person. Maybe that was the case with Casey and maybe that would be why it would be easier for someone close to her to get to the point of physically attacking her even when she was a child. All of this is my own speculation, of course.

Competition. Casey finally wins and the competition ends. She can do a little dance in the end zone and then go out and party and enjoy her triumph. The other team (Cindy) slinks home in shame and defeat. But gosh, the other team will respect our team after that drubbing! Notice how CA caters to Casey. You just gotta respect a "winner".

Dev/little bitty


Hello: thank you both for posting. How much Cindy reminds me of my mother has kept me following this case. I agree 100% with your feelings about the family dynamics in the A's. I had parents just like you are describing. I had to wait to be away from my parents so I could be a person.

I have a brother and sister, younger. None of us have children, we are all in our 30s. My sister took it the hardest. She decided at six that she hated my mother and that she would never forgive her and to this day, she never has. My mother used to hit my sister and I and then ask us to forgive and when my sister didn't, she didn't.

Thru the grapevine I have heard that my sister has had two abortions. I do not know if this is true or not but I know that this info did get back to my mom. I understand, (unfortunately) how Casey could hate her mom so much, my sister hates my mom this much. I have not had children not to spite my mom but because I would hate to be like my mom to a child for even one moment-so I do not have kids.

My mother was my bully. At 37 I have just learned to be free of her. I am blessed that "there but before the grace of god go I" when it comes to a Casey A. Just because you were abused does not excuse hurting and abusing others. In fact, if you were abused you should not want to hurt anyone else in that way...but this is not what happens for some children who are mentally abused-they just have anger inside and hurt. Casey was physically abused too with being choked by cindy.

If I think of Casey when she was little and know that she was a sweet baby too and that cindy was her monster-then we can see that casey became caylee's monster. And, this does go back to Cindy's mother too...talking about choking casey and women beating her up-that sounds good now because we see that casey has hurt caylee but that shows the running attitude of the women in this family.

"I love you but I don't like you." -Cindy's mom to Casey. My mom has said this exact thing to me and my sibs so many, many times! When I think about the mindf**K we lived with growing up-it makes me believe in more than one life because it takes a seasoned soul to still have a soul after living with an abusive mother. Your mother is everything! Your god. And if she does not love you...who knows how your life will turn out?

These are not excuses. I want to say again Casey is wrong for what she did and if I think of the adult Casey I have no sorryness for her but when I think she was a child too I feel very bad for her. What happened to Caylee, seems so unreal and we can't understand but what we have is simply a lack of love. We think Casey loves herself so much. She hates herself. All abusers hate themselves. Casey learned to hate herself from Cindy-and hate Cindy. I learned to hate myself from my mom but I was never sure if I should hate her, where my sister was sure at six.

Thank you all for sharing all that you do and for letting me jump in-I am healing from a family dynamic like this and WS is the only place I have ever encountered people who speak to what I understand of this experience.

It helps me make sense. If that makes sense.

...Thanks again...

 

[dinskugga]

Can anyone tell me how one doesn't know their child, who lives with them, has been lying about a job for the past two years?? Seriously? Denial? I don't buy it for one second. And that being said, I don't buy that they believed there was a "nanny" either.

 

[kageykaren]

I actually remember the cadaver dogs hitting on the bed post before I heard of the argument with KC and CA. If I'm correct LE took some drywall out of the house while searching for evidence after Caylee's remains were found. Upon hearing about the volital argument all I could think of was Caylee's reaction during that fight. A child alone in the home with those two women, no Grandpa to run to for help of her fears at that very moment. A toddler would start crying buckets of tears with that kind of fear. Caylee was to young to know to stay quiet and out of the way. While KC's anger is at its peak, fighting stopped do to both women being to tired to keep yelling, shoving , choking. KC grabs Caylee marches off to her room , slams the door, locks it, and CA starts up again with, "Let me in ect...," Caylee continues to cry with confusing fear, and that is the worst of betrayl to KC, of Caylee wanting Grandma. KC smothers her to death and sneaks out of the home once CA & GA go to bed, and that was the last night KC semi stayed at home, only wanting to come over to steal from parents. After she left the night of the fight and possible killing of Caylee, she had to concentrate on a story alittle quicker than she had planned. As others have said, she may have been mulling over this crime for awhile. I feel KC brought Caylee's body back for containment on the 16 th during the afternoon, which points to GA not having seen them. To me this is why she was found with her blankey because she was killed in KC bedroom. Thanks for listening!

 

[kageykaren]

Knowing what we've been privey too so far in the investigation and reading all these posts on a possible theory of the circumstances surrounding Caylee's death we can see exactly why the A's did not take a lie detector test. Their answers to questions presented to them would have given LE so much to go on including their possible role in the mess that led up to Caylee's death. I feel so many of the holes in this case can be linked together by LE. Also Tuba member had some good ideas in the forensic astrology thread today that points to everyone lying within the nucleous of the family. So sad to think that not only did the A's loose a grandaughter but they have to live with knowing the rest of their lives that they lied to cover up for Caylee's murdering mother. I think that will eat at them more the remainder of their days on earth ,than the quality of life that their daughter will have in a penal institution. So sad they can't see that at the present time. Look at the pathological" determination " in both of these women for what cannot be a good outcome for any of them. "Such a huge waste"

 

[reeseeva]

Knowing what we've been privey too so far in the investigation and reading all these posts on a possible theory of the circumstances surrounding Caylee's death we can see exactly why the A's did not take a lie detector test. Their answers to questions presented to them would have given LE so much to go on including their possible role in the mess that led up to Caylee's death. I feel so many of the holes in this case can be linked together by LE. Also Tuba member had some good ideas in the forensic astrology thread today that points to everyone lying within the nucleous of the family. So sad to think that not only did the A's loose a grandaughter but they have to live with knowing the rest of their lives that they lied to cover up for Caylee's murdering mother. I think that will eat at them more the remainder of their days on earth ,than the quality of life that their daughter will have in a penal institution. So sad they can't see that at the present time. Look at the pathological" determination " in both of these women for what cannot be a good outcome for any of them. "Such a huge waste"

:clap::clap::clap:

 

[TakeNote]

I actually remember the cadaver dogs hitting on the bed post before I heard of the argument with KC and CA. If I'm correct LE took some drywall out of the house while searching for evidence after Caylee's remains were found. Upon hearing about the volital argument all I could think of was Caylee's reaction during that fight. A child alone in the home with those two women, no Grandpa to run to for help of her fears at that very moment. A toddler would start crying buckets of tears with that kind of fear. Caylee was to young to know to stay quiet and out of the way. While KC's anger is at its peak, fighting stopped do to both women being to tired to keep yelling, shoving , choking. KC grabs Caylee marches off to her room , slams the door, locks it, and CA starts up again with, "Let me in ect...," Caylee continues to cry with confusing fear, and that is the worst of betrayl to KC, of Caylee wanting Grandma. KC smothers her to death and sneaks out of the home once CA & GA go to bed, and that was the last night KC semi stayed at home, only wanting to come over to steal from parents. After she left the night of the fight and possible killing of Caylee, she had to concentrate on a story alittle quicker than she had planned. As others have said, she may have been mulling over this crime for awhile. I feel KC brought Caylee's body back for containment on the 16 th during the afternoon, which points to GA not having seen them. To me this is why she was found with her blankey because she was killed in KC bedroom. Thanks for listening!

mine bold in red....
i have only heard this to be a rumor, i have not seen it backed up as a fact....if im wrong im sorry...but i have only heard it to be rumor...and it was the night of the first search of the home after finding the body and the house was being filmed live.....and poster made mention of dry wall....but i have not seen it in any of the doc dumps....but i could have missed something....:blowkiss:

 

[TakeNote]

ABC's One Tree Hill

Season 5 Episode 12

Ep Title: "Hundred" (100th ep.)

Air Date: 3/18/08

http://www.tv.com/One+Tree+Hill/show/16942/episode.html?season=5
(scroll about halfway down the page)

:blowkiss: thank you so much for the link...wow....it's so wild isnt it? no wonder prosecution have such a great case against her......kc really has just laid it all out there for them.....

 

[LindaFaye]

I don't know where to post this hope it's ok .
If you were a man and you had sex with Casey at around
the time of Caylee and didn't know if you might be her father
are not would you come forward and be tested to see if she
might be yours ...I know men that had sex with her knows
they had sex with her and might want to know if Caylee is theirs
are not ....Maybe Casey does know who the father is and maybe
not but this maybe would help find out who the real father is.
Hope all this makes sease I'm not to good at putting words together.

 

[carrie]

mine bold in red....
i have only heard this to be a rumor, i have not seen it backed up as a fact....if im wrong im sorry...but i have only heard it to be rumor...and it was the night of the first search of the home after finding the body and the house was being filmed live.....and poster made mention of dry wall....but i have not seen it in any of the doc dumps....but i could have missed something....:blowkiss:

I'm pretty positive it's a rumor too. The only places the dogs hit were outside the house.

 

[BondJamesBond]

FWIW...the temperature in the trunk ~6PM on 6/16 woulda been ~76F...dropping to ~69F by midnight.

Being self-critical...I really have nothing solid to hang my hat on that suggests OTC's were used. Hafta admit I selfishly want to believe something spared Caylee from the horrific alternative(s). I've also held onto no fingerprints being found in the trunk as support for this line of thinking for the same reason.

Still being self-critical...and stealing a bit from Bern's line of thinking...having duct tape in the car for impromptu use would seem possible, but, perhaps less likely than just having it @ G&C's.

 

[Skully]

I also think that if KC had this duct tape in the car, why did she need to borrow Annie's for the no cloths party? She could have just got it from her car. When was that party? Was it around the time Caylee was murdered? I don't think the tape was Annie's either, because she would have ID that tape by now.

 

[LCoastMom]

I am having a hard time getting on the OTC wagon for a bunch of reasons. One is unreliability, while a child with a cough and/or cold who hasn't been sleeping well may suddenly sleep like a rock for 8 straight hours when properly medicated. It is just as likely the decrease in symptoms allowed the child to sleep well, as it is the medication. Children are so hard to predict, while a dose of antihistamine may let her have a nice nap one day, it is just as likely to have her bouncing off the walls the next. If KC had been medicating Caylee to sleep for any length of time Caylee would start developing a tolerance and need more for the desired effect which would have been causing other problems for Caylee.

My two biggest concerns are vomiting which is highly likely with overdose of OTC's and the combined ill effects of overdosing, agitation, sweating, shaking, tremors and seizures. Did KC drug Caylee and sit by and watch all these symptoms until Caylee finally died? Is she really that heartless, that seeing her baby in obvious distress did nothing to her? When it got to be more than she could stand, did she put her in the trunk and walk away knowing it would end eventually?

The A's had drugs in their medicine cabinet that would have been more efficient and reliable. I believe KC also had access to drugs through some friends and acquaintances that would have had the desired effect without all the side effects.

Also, I believe OCSD was looking into possible poisoning, again while brutal to observe this would have been quicker and more reliable.

Antihistamines can either cause sleepiness or excitability. In extreme overdoses, it can cause increased heart rate, coma and seizures. Decongestants such as pseudoephedrine can cause excitability and an increased heart rate. Cough suppressants containing dextromethorphan can cause nausea, vomiting, drunken-like behavior, decreased breathing and coma.

Decongestants
These ingredients can affect your child's heart and nervous system. Your chid may have symptoms such as agitation, hyperactivity and shaking hands. Other effects such as an increase in blood pressure and heart rate would have to be evaluated in a hospital setting. Severe poisoning can result in seizures and an irregular heart beat. Phenylpropanolamine (1) (decongestant) is the worst offender because it has more serious effects on the heart than the others.

Antihistamines
Your child will probably appear agitated, although drowsiness may also be noted in some children. Like decongestants, antihistamines can also have an effect on your child's heart. Blood pressure and heart rate abnormalities must be evaluated by a physician. Hallucinations and seizures may occur in a serious poisoning.

Antitussives
Dextromethorphan (can be found as the "DM" in many preparations)
In an overdose, dextromethorphan acts as a narcotic, slowing your child's breathing rate and producing drowsiness which may progress to coma.

Researchers studied several sources for deaths in children associated with cough and cold products between 1966 and 2007 (the year that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a prohibition against the use of such drugs in children under the age of six), and found 103 deaths related to nonprescription cough and cold medicines.

Said Richard Dart, MD, PhD, Director of the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center of the Denver Health and Hospital Authority in Denver. "It was disturbing to find cases where the adult was attempting to sedate a child and even more disturbing to find many cases of apparent child abuse."

The researchers found two types of cases involved in the deaths: a caregiver was trying to treat a child's cough and cold symptoms but inadvertently administered an overdose of the medication, or the caregiver intentionally administered an overdose of cough and cold medicine to the child to harm the child or to control their behavior.

The most vulnerable population appears to be children less than two years of age. These patients accounted for 75 percent of the deaths.

1 In 2005 the FDA removed phenylpropanolamine from over-the-counter sale.

resources:
http://www.acep.org/PrintFriendly.aspx?id=43510

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenylpropanolamine

http://www.acep.org/pressroom.aspx?id=43510

http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp

http://www.kumed.com/default.aspx?id=4232&title=Over-the-Counter-Products

 

[ibyoungr]

I am having a hard time getting on the OTC wagon for a bunch of reasons. One is unreliability, while a child with a cough and/or cold who hasn't been sleeping well may suddenly sleep like a rock for 8 straight hours when properly medicated. It is just as likely the decrease in symptoms allowed the child to sleep well, as it is the medication. Children are so hard to predict, while a dose of antihistamine may let her have a nice nap one day, it is just as likely to have her bouncing off the walls the next. If KC had been medicating Caylee to sleep for any length of time Caylee would start developing a tolerance and need more for the desired effect which would have been causing other problems for Caylee.


snipped above for space....

I still have not been sold on the OTC but much more so than the chloroform.