Indiana toddler suffers catastrophic brain injury after alleged exposure to 7-OH opioid

A two-year-old boy from Auburn, Indiana, was rushed to a DeKalb County hospital on Sept. 6 after police said he was exposed to a drug known as 7-OH, a potent opioid derivative of kratom. The child was unresponsive and placed in a medically induced coma before being transferred to Riley Hospital in Indianapolis, where doctors confirmed catastrophic brain injury.

Police charged 20-year-old Kole Schwarz, who was living with the child’s mother at the time, with neglect of a dependent resulting in catastrophic injury. Court records indicate Schwarz admitted purchasing tablets marketed as “7-OH” from a contact in Fort Wayne and that the tablets remained sealed in his pocket.

Investigators said a specialized lab test later detected kratom-related substances in the child’s blood. The mother, who is not a suspect, told detectives she believed Schwarz used “7-OH” products and feared the toddler might have ingested one.

The FDA has warned that 7-OH is a concentrated opioid derived from kratom and highlighted a “concerning proliferation” of such products sold over the counter and online. While illegal in Indiana, the substance is reportedly sold in Michigan as gummies, drinks and pills.

"This public health threat is troubling and requires immediate and impactful policies to educate consumers and take regulatory action that limits access to 7-OH-containing products," the FDA report stated.

Berrien County health officials in Michigan noted a rise in kratom-related hospitalizations and warned that the plant’s active chemical, 7-OH, can cause severe withdrawal, seizures, liver toxicity and overdose.

The child’s grandmother, Josie Casebere, said she spent six weeks in the hospital with her grandson and urged greater awareness of the unregulated product.

"They’re labeling it however they want to because it’s not regulated, and they’re selling it to our kids," she said.