Does Anyone Have Any Information About Drug Testing Infants in Massachusetts?
Question by cleverlychaotic: Does anyone have any information about drug testing infants in Massachusetts?
My daughter is not a drug user but during her pregnancy she experienced extreme nausea and tried everything her doctors had told her to do with no results. She was vomiting 5 or more times a day and she was miserable. A friend of hers suggested that she try should smoking marijuana because her grandmother used it while she had cancer and it was the only thing that helped. Like I said she was miserable and she tried it and it did in fact work. As soon as her nausea subsided she stopped doing it (stopped about 29 weeks and she did it for about a month daily) Now she is afraid that it will still be in her child’s system when the child is born. She is a very good mother to 2 other children and had never done any type of drugs prior to this. She has also made her doctor aware of what she has done because she wanted to know if cps would get involved when the baby was born. He stated that cps has “much bigger fish to fry” and told her not to worry about it, but I am not convinced that she will be clear from any trouble. Does anyone know the policies in MA regarding infant drug testing or if the baby will be born with the drug in his system as she has not done it since. How can I be sure to help her avoid cps involvement?
She also had no apatite whatsoever and was not gaining any weight during her pregnancy until she began smoking. She was petrified that the fact that she had been vomiting so much and unable to eat would cause harm to the babies development. She had been hospitalized several times for dehydration from throwing up. After she began her use, the nausea disappeared and she was able to eat normally again and she began gaining weight like she was supposed to. She didn’t smoke to get a quick high, but to function normally. I don’t condone her decision but I can’t help but recognize the fact that it did help….
She also had no apatite whatsoever and was not gaining any weight during her pregnancy until she began smoking. She was petrified that the fact that she had been vomiting so much and unable to eat would cause harm to the babies development. She had been hospitalized several times for dehydration from throwing up. After she began her use, the nausea disappeared and she was able to eat normally again and she began gaining weight like she was supposed to. She didn’t smoke to get a quick high, but to function normally. I don’t condone her decision but I can’t help but recognize the fact that it did help….
Best answer:
Answer by Jeff B
EDIT: Found some useful info on your question, though the research material is a little outdated and may have changed since the publication was released. It looks like it is honestly up to the hospitals/health care providers (OB/GYN) discretion whether to test or not. It is not MANDATED by the State of Mass to test an infant. BUT, if the infant or mother are tested and a positive result is obtained, they MUST report it to the state (see below)
(excerpt from the article)
Drug testing policies.
No State has statewide protocols or regulations for testing pregnant women and newborns for illicit substances, though officials in some States mentioned that hospital protocols exist. Many States specifically indicated that testing is done at the discretion of the health care provider.
State: Massachusetts
Mandatory Reporting: Yes … to:
Social Services Agencies: Yes
CPS: Yes
Criminal Justice Agencies: No
(See pages 293 and 294)
What do you think? Answer below!
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