German nurse arrested on suspicion of trying to poison five babies to death with morphine

Syringe containing painkiller-infused milk is found in locker

General view of the paediatric clinic of the Ulm University Clinic (Reuters)

A German nurse has been arrested for allegedly attempting to kill five babies by poisoning them with morphine.

The babies, some of who were premature, suspiciously fell ill at the same time and developed breathing problems at Ulm university hospital in southwestern Germany.

Doctors acted quickly and saved the lives of all five newborns, none of whom are expected to suffer long-term damage.

Investigators found traces of morphine in the urine of all the infants, despite two of them not having been prescribed the drug.

Upon searching the lockers of nurses who were working at the time of the incident, they found a syringe containing morphine-infused milk.

Following the discovery, the nurse, who has not been identified but was described as “young”, was placed in custody on Wednesday.

Morphine, a powerful painkiller, is commonly used in maternity wards, in particular to treat the babies of addicts.

In a statement, the hospital said: “We very much regret that this incident could have happened and we sincerely apologise to the parents and children.”

Prosecutors believe the woman, who is undergoing psychological evaluation, acted with premeditation.

The nurse, who faces multiple counts of attempted manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, has denied all charges.

The case evokes memories of German nurse Niels Högel who was jailed for life for murdering 85 patients by lethal injection.