The Daily From Serial: 'The Preventionist'
106 snips
Nov 9, 2025 
Mark Pinsley, the Lehigh County controller, dives into a shocking scandal involving a pediatrician accused of misdiagnosing child abuse, leading to wrongful removals of children. He recounts how a TikTok tip prompted his investigation into child welfare cases and reveals alarming statistics about Munchausen diagnoses in the Lehigh Valley. Families share their traumatic experiences, raising questions about the influence of child abuse pediatricians. Pinsley's compelling findings challenge the existing systems, suggesting a troubling pattern of over-reporting in the region.
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Baby Taken After ER Visit
- A young mother described rushing her two-month-old baby to Lehigh Valley Hospital after he choked and turned limp.
- Doctors accused the parents of violently shaking the baby and the child was taken away for seven months.
Power Of The Child Abuse Pediatrician
- Mark discovered a recurring role called child abuse pediatrician (CAP) driving many allegations in case files.
- CAP opinions carried heavy weight and could trigger removals that were hard to overturn.
Brittle Bone Disease Misread As Abuse
- A mother whose child had multiple rib fractures was pressured to divorce her husband after a CAP suspected abuse.
- Later genetic testing at another hospital diagnosed osteogenesis imperfecta and charges were dropped.