Mother charged after giving birth to drug-positive newborn

A local woman is accused of giving birth to a baby who tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine and THC, court documents say.

Kirsten Genereux is charged with two felony counts of endangering the welfare of children and scheduled to appear for her arraignment March 12 in District Court in Havre, where she will plead guilty or not guilty.

Court charging documents say Genereux delivered a baby Oct. 15 via caesarean section at Northern Montana Hospital. Genereux tested positive for amphetamines and THC when she was admitted to the hospital, document say.

A sample of blood from the newborn’s umbilical cord was taken and sent off to a laboratory for testing.

A Child Protective Services worker told Genereux the next day that she tested positive for THC and amphetamines. Genereux, documents say, “admitted to consuming THC and over-the-counter cold remedies,” but denied using other drugs.

Genereux told the CPS worker she and the infant’s father were due in Salt Lake City for an appointment with their other daughter, who had been born with birth defects that needed surgical work.

The CPS worker and hospital employees told Genereux it was dangerous to move the newborn before testing was complete and it was dangerous to travel so far with the newborn. Genereux was also told the newborn’s father would have to take a urinalysis test. Genereux agreed, documents say.

After leaving the hospital, the CPS worker received a call from a hospital nurse who told her Genereux had left the hospital with her infant, against medical advice.

Calls were made to the police to find Genereux and the baby’s father. While this was happening, Genereux called the CPS worker to say she left because she “did not feel safe,” documents say. When asked, Genereux said they were on their way to Shelby. Meanwhile, the father was heard in the background saying they were on their way to Malta, documents say.

Despite protest against taking the newborn out of the hospital, Genereux insisted she needed to be in Salt Lake City. Contact was lost between the CPS worker and Genereux.

A nurse from the Salt Lake City surgeon’s office called the Havre CPS worker Oct. 17 and said she told Genereux it would not be safe to travel. The Salt Lake City nurse, who said she didn’t know Genereux left in spite of medical advice not to, said that Genereux told her Montana doctors approved her travel.

Police found Genereux and the father Oct. 18. Because Genereux resisted when the police tried to stop them, she was charged with endangering the welfare of children, documents say.

After Genereux and the father were arrested, the newborn was taken to the hospital, “as she appeared to be gray in color,” documents say. The newborn’s oxygen saturation level was “significantly low,” she had lost seven ounces of weight and she still had the umbilical cord clamp on, documents say.

The results of the newborn’s test came back Oct. 24. Documents say the infant tested positive for THC, amphetamine and methamphetamine. The other child also tested positive for drugs.

Both Genereux’s children were placed in foster care.