Reveal
She Ate a Poppy Seed Salad. Child Services Took Her Baby.
Sep 7, 2024
Susan Horton, a mother of five, shares her shocking experience with child welfare after consuming a poppy seed salad. Despite her explanations, a hospital drug test falsely indicated opiate use, leading to the immediate removal of her newborn. The discussion dives deep into the systemic failings of drug testing for expectant mothers, highlighting the emotional turmoil these inaccuracies cause. Horton passionately advocates for better understanding and reform, showcasing the chilling impact such misdiagnoses have on families across the country.
50:03
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Quick takeaways
- Routine drug testing for pregnant women can yield false positives, resulting in severe emotional and legal repercussions for innocent mothers.
- The podcast highlights the urgent need for policy reforms to ensure accurate drug testing and better protections for pregnant women.
Deep dives
False Positive Drug Tests During Pregnancy
Routine drug testing of pregnant women often leads to false positive results due to various substances, including poppy seeds and prescribed medications. Reports indicate that these tests can have a high rate of inaccuracies, sometimes reaching 50% for certain drugs. Many women face serious consequences after such tests, including losing custody of their newborns despite not using any illicit substances. Hospital protocols frequently do not involve confirmation tests, which further exacerbates the issue, as immediate reporting to Child Protective Services often occurs based solely on the initial results.
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