What Killed Grandma: The Reindeer or Her Drinking? [Video]

"Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" is a polarizing Christmas song. You either love it, or (if you're like me) you hate it with an unbridled passion.

Now, medical investigators have delved into the song and determined that maybe Santa's reindeer weren't the culprits in grandma's demise.

Could it have been over drinking? Distracted driving? Allergic reaction?

So let's reopen the case of grandma's accident and treat it like an episode of "Criminal Minds," shall we?

Written by Randy Brooks and originally released by Dr. Elmo and Patsy Shropshire in 1979, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" has become a popular holiday song.

It tells a family tale about a Christmas season which goes horribly wrong for the grandmother. Apparently, on Christmas Eve, Grandma finds trouble on the streets while walking home. Allegedly, she gets run over by one or more of Santa's reindeers. The injuries, it is assumed, causes her death.

So, what went wrong that night? Could there be a medical explanation for Grandma's unfortunate accident?

To find the answer, the Pennsylvania Health News Service Project asked several medical sleuths to investigate and offer opinions.

Possibly some of the biggest clues to this investigation come very early in the song ...

She'd been drinkin' too much egg nog
And we'd begged her not to go
But she'd left her medication
So she stumbled out the door into the snow

According to medical sleuths, this verse may offer some angles to investigate. From this section of the song, we know she may have been intoxicated, she forgot her medication, and she may have had difficulty walking.

Dan Kimball, MD, president of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians, says it's easy to forget a dose of medication, particularly around the holidays when there are so many festivities happening. While missing one dose might not do harm for many illnesses and diseases, there are some that can be worrisome.

Diabetes is one such disease.

Several factors could cause a person to develop low blood sugar - hypoglycemia. They include drinking alcohol excessively without eating, changing when or how much is normally consumed, and becoming more physically active than usual.

"If Grandma is diabetic and maybe drank too much alcoholic egg nog, I could see this as being a possibility," says Dr. Kimball, an internist from Wyomissing, Pa. "Severe hypoglycemia is also known as diabetic shock and it can cause fainting, seizures, coma, and unconsciousness. If she was walking home by herself and had any of these happen, it's possible that something bad could happen. Maybe she collapsed during her walk home and Santa's lead reindeer didn't see her when they were landing somewhere?"

Todd Green, MD, FAAAAI, president of the Pennsylvania Allergy & Asthma Association suggests that possibly a food allergy could be blamed.

"Maybe there was some almond milk in Grandma's eggnog and she had an allergic reaction," Dr. Green, who practices in Pittsburgh, says. "If she realized she was without her epi-pen, maybe she darted out of the house and was attempting to get home to where her medication was?"

Michael A. Bohrn, MD, FACEP, president of the Pennsylvania College of Emergency Physicians, says there's an additional clue towards the end of the song. He points to the line that reads "they should never give a license to a man who drives a sleigh and plays with elves."

Does this suggest distracted driving caused the accident?

According to Dr. Bohrn, who practices in York, Pa., dangerous events can happen when distracted driving occurs, so this is a realistic possibility.

Furthermore, he says, accidents can happen even when a driver is not distracted, particularly at night if pedestrians are not dressed to be easily seen.

But, while these may be the cause of Grandma's demise, Dr. Bohrn thinks the likelihood is low.

"We know that Santa's lead reindeer can navigate the sleigh through the worst of foggy conditions," he says. "Surely Rudolph would have seen Grandma since his nose can light up an entire neighborhood. Also, Santa is a very reliable driver and wouldn't break the law by texting and driving at the same time."

With medical clues exhausted, and knowing Santa is a caring individual, many medical sleuths say pointing the finger at Kris Kringle, his elves, and his reindeer is wrong.

"Sure, when they found Grandma Christmas morning at the scene of the attack, she may have had hoof prints on her forehead and claus marks on her back," says Karen Rizzo, president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society. "But I know a forensic investigation could be used to prove those marks didn't come from Santa's team."

Dr. Rizzo and many others suggest that it's too suspicious that Grandpa was taking it so well, watching football, drinking beer, and playing cards with Cousin Mel.

And, additional research through a special animated holiday show based upon the song suggests Cousin Mel was up to no good.

"It's a set up ... 100 percent set up," Rizzo said.

While it's fun to look at the lyrics and launch a medical investigation on what may have happened to Grandma, there's a more serious message hidden behind the words.

According to a December 2011 interview, Dr. Shropshire, a veterinarian, told Lori Crofford that "Grandma got run over by a reindeer" is about overindulgence and hangovers during the holiday season. Apparently, the song's writer, Randy Brooks, had a grandmother who was known for her hangovers due to too much holiday cheer.

Dr. Jon Shapiro, who runs the Physician Health Program at the Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, says that drinking can be a simple pleasure if controlled, but it can reach a point in which it is a problem.

According to Dr. Shapiro, whose PHP program helps health care professionals struggling with addictions, it's easy for someone to slip further into a drinking problem and create potentially dangerous situations for themselves and others.

"When you have friends and family members worried about how much you are drinking," says Dr. Shapiro, "it could be a sign that you have a drinking problem." Other signs, he says, may include forgetting what you did while drinking, hiding drinking habits, and regularly drinking more than planned.

"Holiday parties often involve alcohol," Dr. Shapiro adds. "This can be a tough time of the year for someone suffering from alcoholism."

If you are throwing a party, says Dr. Shapiro, there may be guests with drinking problems. Have food and non-alcoholic drinks available. Don't let anyone drink to the point of intoxication. And, don't pressure anyone to drink.

And what do I believe after all this examination? I believe Grandma has passed on and the best way to honor her memory is to NEVER play this stupid song ever again! Right?