On this edition of Your Call's media roundtable, we discuss the Marshall Project's recent investigation about how hospitals across the country are using inaccurate pee-in-a-cup drug tests to report new mothers to child protective services.
At least 27 states explicitly require hospitals to alert child welfare agencies after a positive screen or potential exposure, according to a review of state laws and policies by The Marshall Project. But not a single state requires hospitals to confirm test results before reporting them. At least 25 states do not require child welfare workers to confirm positive test results, either.
Health care providers say there are medical reasons to test labor and delivery patients for drugs, including alerting doctors to watch a newborn for withdrawal symptoms. They also cite concerns about criminal and legal liability if they fail to report positive test results.
Guest:
Shoshana Walter, staff writer for The Marshall Project
Resources:
The Marshal Project: She Ate a Poppy Seed Salad Just Before Giving Birth. Then They Took Her Baby Away.
