When the stepmother of a six-year-old girl and her three-year-old brother decided to use a substance to treat their head lice, she had no idea that they would die from it.

According to police in Suriname, Maloncia and her younger brother Emiliano were brought to the University Hospital by their stepmother unconscious.

Doctors at the hospital informed the police that the children’s stepmom, a 37-year-old woman, claimed her step-children became unresponsive after she used a home remedy to treat their head lice.

The woman allegedly used a combination of chemical malathion and shampoo.

Malathion is a common insecticide that is used to control mosquitoes and other insects that feed on agriculture.

The stepmother said Maloncia fell to the floor shortly after receiving the treatment and she injured her face.

The stepmother was interviewed by police before she was released.