Drug addicted babies

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]