He left his infant son in a steamy bathroom to treat a cough. It ended up killing him, police say

A 1-year-old boy in Brooklyn, New York, has died after his father’s attempt to treat his congestion went horribly wrong, according to police.

The New York Post reports that Mordechai Halpern woke his 27-year-old father early Friday morning around 3 a.m. because he was coughing. The father told police he then gave his son a home remedy of water, sugar and lemon, according to WPIX.

However, the boy’s coughing persisted, so the father put him in a stroller, covered him with a blanket and placed him in the bathroom while he turned on the shower, per the New York Daily News. The father later told police he kept the shower curtain closed and hoped that it would act as a humidifier to help with the cough.

Per Inside Edition, the father then went back to sleep, setting an alarm for 5 a.m. When the alarm went off, the boy’s 22-year-old mother went to check on him and found him unconscious.

The New York Daily News reports that the boy was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after. His body temperature was recorded at 108 degrees. According to the Mayo Clinic, heatstroke starts to set in among adults when the body’s temperature reaches 104 degrees. That number is even lower for infants.

According to WPIX, police are investigating the incident but do not believe the father intended to hurt his child.

Child health experts do recommend using a hot shower to create a steam room if children are suffering from coughs, according to TODAY. However, experts say children should only stay in the bathroom with an adult and for no more than 15 minutes.

This story was originally published September 16, 2017 at 12:54 PM with the headline "He left his infant son in a steamy bathroom to treat a cough. It ended up killing him, police say."