NEWS / Pennsylvania baby died from overdose of Benadryl – death certificate

A 3-month old Pennsylvania baby died from an overdose of a cocktail of over-the-counter medication, according to the child’s death certificate. The death occurred in 2020, and the baby’s mother, Chauntel Gindlesperger, a resident of Stoystown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 13-26 years in state prison on January 3, 2025, after being convicted of third degree murder.

Gindlesperger child died at the Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center in Windber, Pennsylvania, on October 30, 2020. While medical staff originally confirmed the child did not display any visible signs of trauma and Gindlesperger herself denied hurting her baby, the woman admitted giving the child large amounts of Benadryl, ZZZQuil, CBD spray, and ibuprofen, State Trooper Patrick Houser reported, as quoted by The Daily American.

The coroner’s office produced a toxicology report stating that the baby’s blood contained a “lethal” level of the antihistamine diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl and ZZZQuil. The child’s death certificate therefore listed “homicide” as the manner of death, with “cardio-respiratory arrest” and “acute diphenhydramine toxicity” being the causes.

Gindlesperger was arrested and incarcerated at Somerset County jail on December 22, 2020. She pleaded guilty to charges of endangering the welfare of a child and aggravated assault, both felonies, in November 2024, and waived her right to a trial. With her defense raising concerns about her mental health, the woman received her 13-26 year sentence with a 1,474 day credit for time already served.