Audrina,
I think that sentence was intended to alert people that these snakes can be dangerous and not to demonize...Check out the info below...
Erin,
I did a search about the snakes and their venom...
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The brown tree snake is a mildly venomous species that kills its prey by chewing to inject the venom. It is not known to be fatal to humans, but special precautions should be taken to keep snakes away from infants and small children. Bites should be carefully cleaned, the person bitten should be monitored closely, and if any unusual symptoms appear, medical attention should be sought.
The snake is relatively strong and holds its prey by wrapping its body around the animal. Snakes can be easily removed by unwrapping them starting at the head or tail. The brown tree snake poses no danger of strangulation or injury from constriction to adult humans, but with infants and small children, the possibility of suffocation or envenomation exists.
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..attacked small infants, and sent children to hospitals with respiratory arrest.
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The brown tree snake will readily strike when aggravated, but it does not present a danger to adults. A bite from this snake will not penetrate most clothing. However, babies less than 6 months old may be at risk from both brown tree snake bites and constriction. A young victim of a brown tree snake bite should receive immediate medical attention.
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Even though the snake is abundant on Guam, most people rarely encounter a live brown tree snake. These pests do not hang from trees in giant bunches, nor do they actively search out people to bite. In fact, many residents have lived on Guam for years without ever seeing a single snake.
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It sounds as though you still have a good memory..I could not find any proof of actual death of children but I think that the info posted above is enough to say that these snakes can/will kill infants and small children...