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This is why we have so many babies are born to mothers addicted to drugs. Open this link.
[url=http://www.businessinsider.com/this-graphic-shows-what-mexican-cartels-and-drugs-come-to-your-town-2012-7]Mexican Drug Cartels Have Infiltrated All Of These US Cities - Business Insider[/url]
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Apparently because of the higher numbers of drug addicted/exposed babies, they are starting to send kiddos home with moms now. It is no longer a reason to take them into care right off. That is sad to me. A drug addicted mom isn't going to be able to handle caring for a newborn baby, so its unnecessary pain and torture for those little ones, but they are costing the state too much I guess...
Our new placement is a week old and drug exposed. He's still in the hospital & it's just so sad. This is our 2nd drug exposed baby in less than a month!
Babies born addicted to prescription drugs is what is really on the rise and that is now on the radar and hopefully they will tighten up prescription laws.
The Rockcenter program was very informative and I recommend it highly.
[url=http://rockcenter.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/05/12570381-prescription-drug-addiction-among-pregnant-women-becoming-monstrous-tidal-wave?lite]Prescription drug addiction among pregnant women becoming 'monstrous tidal wave' - Rock Center with Brian Williams[/url]
Whether or not they turn to the streets to obtain the pills - many are getting hooked by over-prescribing in the first place.
Kind regards,
Dickons
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I am dealing with this exact situation in Virginia. My 2nd cousin was born addicted to prescribed methadone and exposed to cocaine. He should be released from the hospital this week (he is 6 weeks old) and he will go home with his mom. :hissy:
I pray he will be safe in her care and she will turn for real help if needed instead of drugs.
In opinion this is child abuse. She abused him before he even got a chance. She forced him to suffer through withdrawals while she is still allowed to get her drugs.
I do not understand at all. My 1st cousin is a long time drug abuser. She abandoned her first daughter who was adopted by my aunt and now she has gotten pregnant again by someone she doesn't know and brought a life into this world that she cannot take care of. Her and her son will become a burden on the "system" and will use (and abuse) it at every corner.
How do we expect illegal drug users to beat the addiction when the govt is supplying the drug at a reduced rate everyday around the corner? Our govt is an enabler of drug addicts. They do not want the drug dealers on the street getting rich when they too can have a piece of the pie.
Methadone (alone) is not recovery or treatment. It is government approved heroin. (And donҒt forget heroin was made to combat the publics addict to morphine.)
In my state Ohio according the guidelines in CAPMIS the Comprehensive Assesment and Interim Solution model for assesing risk behavior. If a baby has drugs in the meconium, the first poop. That child will be adjudicated for neglect / abuse. You may want to look at how risk is assesed in your state.
Right, flighttime.... but they are not testing for percoset, vicodin, etc.?
Are there laws in the works that make a birth mom allow testing of her babe's meconium for painkillers? I doubt it.
I also doubt that if they test the meconium for it, they make mom prove that she has scripts and didn't doc shop or buy off the streets. :cop: As I've mentioned in other posts, fetus is latin for baby....I feel that our country does not protect the unborn as much as they should. I also believe that the mom should be checked to see if she abused her methodone.
Powerof3
I googled this manual from your Virginia CPS department. It may provide the information you need to keep the child safe.
[url]http://www.dss.virginia.gov/files/division/dfs/cps/intro_page/manuals/07-2012/section_2_definitions_of_abuse_and_neglect_.pdf[/url]
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FlightTimeDad
In my state Ohio according the guidelines in CAPMIS the Comprehensive Assesment and Interim Solution model for assesing risk behavior. If a baby has drugs in the meconium, the first poop. That child will be adjudicated for neglect / abuse. You may want to look at how risk is assesed in your state.
But not every newborn is tested. CWs do not have every potentially drug addicted pregnant mom on their radar. (What does a CW do, open their own complaint on the pregnant bio because she's preggers and an addict and for no other reason?)
I'm not even sure how docs. decide when to order the drug screen on the newborn. (I'm pretty sure that it's not done to every newborn.) Do docs. have to have a court order from a CW to do it?
For certain, drugged Ohio newborns don't go home with mom, right? I hope I'm right on that!
POWEROF3 : On another thread, I was educated that methodone is given for the fetus' benefit. A preg. mom getting off heroin cold turkey would kill the fetus, but the outcome of methodone exposed newborns is apparently better. (sorry,no link on that....it's just what I've read here....)
FlightTimeDad
In my state Ohio according the guidelines in CAPMIS the Comprehensive Assesment and Interim Solution model for assesing risk behavior. If a baby has drugs in the meconium, the first poop. That child will be adjudicated for neglect / abuse. You may want to look at how risk is assesed in your state.
Ha! My foster sibs were each born positive for cocaine and because the parents had a "safety plan" they each went home (born a year apart). However, parents did not keep up court ordered drug testing and they went into care 2 x now since the 14 month old has been born...almost 10 months of his life in foster care...and yet parents claim they only do it "recreationally" :grr:
Parental Drug Abuse Law by States
[url]http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/drugexposed.pdf[/url]
Virginia
Va. Code Ann. 63.2-1509(B) (LexisNexis through 2008 Sp. Sess.)
For purposes of the reporting law, ‘’reason to suspect that a child is abused or neglected’’ shall include:
A finding made by an attending physician within 7 days of a child’s birth that the results of a blood or urine test • conducted within 48 hours of the birth of the child indicate the presence of a controlled substance not prescribed for the mother by a physician
A finding by an attending physician made within 48 hours of a child’s birth that the child was born dependent on • a controlled substance that was not prescribed by a physician for the mother and has demonstrated withdrawal symptoms
A diagnosis by an attending physician made within 7 days of a child’s birth that the child has an illness, disease, • or condition that, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, is attributable to in utero exposure to a controlled substance that was not prescribed by a physician for the mother or the child
A diagnosis by an attending physician made within 7 days of a child’s birth that the child has fetal alcohol • syndrome attributable to in utero exposure to alcohol
When ‘’reason to suspect’’ is based upon this subsection, such fact shall be included in the report along with the facts relied upon by the person making the report.
Va. Code Ann. ǧ 18.2-248.02 (LexisNexis through 2008 Sp. Sess.)
Any person age 18 or older who maintains a custodial relationship over a child younger than age 18, including, but not limited to, a parent, stepparent, grandparent, stepgrandparent, or who stands in loco parentis with respect to such child, and who knowingly allows that child to be present in the same dwelling, apartment, unit of a hotel, shed, or vehicle during the manufacture or attempted manufacture of methamphetamine, as prohibited 18.2-248(C1), is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not less than 10 years nor more than 40 years. This penalty shall be in addition to and served consecutively with any other sentence.
childwelfare site
right, so the doc. mentions
"Using a controlled substance that impairs the caregiver’s • ability to adequately care for the child"
In class, I learned the CW determines if it does (in their opinion) IMPAIR the caregiver's ability to adequately.......
I was told that when it comes to risk assessment, CWs do not consider the LEGALITY of a behavior, they determine if the drug use IMPAIRS or not. There's your loophole. Again, noone can hold CWs or magistrates accountable if the law allows for this level of personal, subjective risk assessment when it comes to illegal drugs.
Last update on November 10, 10:01 am by Sachin Gupta.
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Virginia
Va. Code Ann. 63.2-1509(B) (LexisNexis through 2008 Sp. Sess.)
For purposes of the reporting law, Ǒreason to suspect that a child is abused or neglectedҒ shall include:
QUOTE]
This only pretains to mandated reporters and when they must report substance exposed newborns to CPS.
This is the statue regarding Child Abuse
ҧ 63.2-100. (Effective until July 1, 2013) Definitions.
As used in this title, unless the context requires a different meaning:
"Abused or neglected child" means any child less than 18 years of age:
1. Whose parents or other person responsible for his care creates or inflicts, threatens to create or inflict, or allows to be created or inflicted upon such child a physical or mental injury by other than accidental means, or creates a substantial risk of death, disfigurement, or impairment of bodily or mental functions, including but not limited to, a child who is with his parent or other person responsible for his care either (i) during the manufacture or attempted manufacture of a Schedule I or II controlled substance, or (ii) during the unlawful sale of such substance by that child's parents or other person responsible for his care, where such manufacture, or attempted manufacture or unlawful sale would constitute a felony violation of 18.2-248;
This statue does not specify when a child is considered a child. I am assuming in VA an unborn fetus is not considered a child but a part of the mother's own body.
OhioFosterMom - I understand the benefits of methadone for pregnant users but I do not agree with it as a form of recovery or treament for the addiction.
My cousin is no longer pregnant so why should she get to continue consuming her drugs while her infant son suffers withdrawals.
My cousin's baby was tested because she admitted prior drug use and told her doctor she was on methadone - at her first prenatal appt 6 weeks before her due date. She knew her son would be tested for drugs and still thought it was okay to use cocaine...and apparently it is since she gets to take her baby home.
Last update on November 10, 10:02 am by Sachin Gupta.
Powerof3
Something is just not right. I googled Virginia CPS meconium. And found the information I posted and some I posted just now. I am diasaapointed that all these laws get written to benefit the helpless. And then through some creative written or verbal presentations the facts become obfuscated or ignored.
Attending physicians are required to immediately make
a report to Child Protective Services (CPS) if any one of
the following occurs:
• Urine or blood toxicology conducted on the mother or
infant, within 48 hours of birth, is positive.
• A medical finding is made, within 48 hours of birth, of
newborn dependency or withdrawal symptoms.
• An illness, disease, or condition attributable to in
utero substance exposure is diagnosed within seven
(7) days of birth.
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is diagnosed within
seven (7) days of birth.
The next few paragraphs really confuse me. Am I reading this correctly, or is this double speak about mandated reporters, obligation to report the abuse or not report it?
Drug Testing
While drug testing is useful for diagnostic and treatment
purposes, it is not legally required to make a report to
CPS. Drug testing may include maternal blood or urine
testing or hair analysis, or newborn urine or meconium
testing. Laboratories routinely do a gas chromatography
with mass spectrometry or other confirmatory test
whenever they obtain a positive finding on a urine,
meconium, or hair sample. Drug testing is only accurate
for recent use i.e., within 24-72 hours.
Hospital policies should establish patient assessment
procedures to determine the care needed by each
patient. These assessments should identify each patient’s
medical needs and complicating conditions, including
substance abuse, dependence and other addictive
behaviors. Assessment and screening procedures should
include:
• Specific, evidence-based criteria for testing the mother
and/or her newborn.
• Expectations regarding the timing of tests, test types
and consent.
Some hospitals request consent for testing while others
assume it within the patient’s general consent for care. To
learn your hospital’s policy, check with its risk
management office.
Records Release
When reporting substance exposed newborns, health
care providers are required by the Code of Virginia to
release, upon request, medical records that document
the basis of the report of suspected child abuse or
neglect.
Disclosure of child abuse/neglect information and records
to CPS agencies is also permitted by the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
(HIPAA), and federal Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug
Abuse Patient Information Regulations. (CFR 42 Part 2)
Reporting Liability
Health care providers reporting in good faith are immune
from civil and criminal liability pursuant to Section 63.2-
1512 of the Virginia Code. Mandated reporter failure to
report could result in criminal liability punishable as a
misdemeanor with an imposed fine.
[url]http://www.dbhds.virginia.gov/documents/CFS/CFS-Legal-Guide-Perinatal-SA.pdf[/url]