INDIANAPOLIS -- A grandmother is defending her daughter, who is accused of giving whiskey to her 4-month-old in a baby bottle.

Mom Accused After Baby Consumes Whiskey

Police said Mary Skaggs, 28, mixed formula with whiskey to get her teething daughter to calm down, WRTV-TV in Indianapolis reported.

Skaggs' mother said her daughter made a big mistake, but that she didn't mean to hurt the girl.

"She wasn't doing anything to hurt the baby, and she thought she was helping the baby because the baby had been up all night crying," said Skaggs' mother, who didn't want to be identified. "It wasn't anything in malice or intent to harm in any way, shape or form."

Skaggs' mother said her daughter tried to soothe her crying baby's pain by rubbing whiskey on her gums, a so-called home remedy that Skaggs told police she had tried before.

"Apparently, it didn't work like it did the first time. The baby continued to cry, so she added whiskey to the formula," said Indianapolis Metro police Sgt. Matt Mount.

Skaggs told police that she poured some whiskey in the bottle, mixed with formula, and fed it to the girl, who passed out.

Skaggs called for an ambulance. The baby had a blood-alcohol level of 0.048 at the hospital, police said.

Officials said they think the infant consumed about 2.5 ounces of whiskey.

"It was not intended that way. The only thing she was trying to do was soothe the baby and have her get out of pain," said Skaggs' mother.

Pediatrician Joseph O'Neil said he's heard of many home remedies for teething pain, but said it is safer to stick to traditional treatments.

"There's been everything from rattlesnake bones around the wrist to whiskey to different types of putting a dime around the neck," O'Neil said. "(You should do) just the basics -- gum massage, something cold to gnaw on, chew on to help get rid of that swelling and help numb up the area."

Parents should always consult a doctor before trying any teething treatment, authorities said.

The baby is doing fine and has been placed in foster care. Skaggs faces two counts of neglect of a dependent and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.