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MA Hospital Network Makes a Shocking Change on Reporting Babies Born With Drugs in System
https://townhall.com ^ | April 04, 2024 | Leah Barkoukis

Posted on 04/04/2024 8:34:13 AM PDT by Beowulf9

Mass General Brigham announced Tuesday it would no longer report to state welfare agencies when a baby is born with drugs in its system because substance abuse in pregnant mothers “disproportionately affects black people,” Boston.com reports.

The change will be rolled out later this month, with Dr. Sarah Wakeman, senior medical director for substance use disorder at Mass General Brigham, arguing the new policy is “based on sound science.”

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: babies; babykillers; blacks; blm; cancelculture; doublestandard; drugs; massachusetts; racism; sarahwakeman
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Mass General Brigham, the state’s largest hospital network, is joining Boston Medical Center in revising its policy. Now, instead of relying on an infant’s blood test results, hospital staff will only report a baby to state investigators if there’s concern about an imminent risk of abuse or neglect.

Mass General Brigham leaders said the change is allowed under state law. The state’s mandatory reporting requirement says the Department of Children and Families must be notified if a child is injured by, among other things, dependence on an addictive drug at birth. Current interpretation of the law has led most hospitals to file child welfare reports for newborns dependent on drugs such as opioids.

The reporting requirement has come under increasing scrutiny during the drug overdose crisis, in part because women report stopping medications like buprenorphine or methadone, which are used to treat addictions, during pregnancy. They say they fear traces of those medications in their newborns could cause them to lose custody of their babies.

“The goal here is balancing the safety of infants and families,” said Dr. Sarah Wakeman, senior medical director for substance use disorder at Mass General Brigham. “A positive toxicology test does not tell you anything about someone’s ability to parent. Actually, a positive buprenorphine test tells you this person is engaged in treatment.”

Legislation that would amend the state’s reporting requirement moved from one committee to another last week on Beacon Hill. It would direct the state Department of Public Health to write new regulations about drug dependence and child welfare reporting at birth, and require health officials to design plans aimed at helping parents managing an addiction. (WBUR)

1 posted on 04/04/2024 8:34:13 AM PDT by Beowulf9
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To: Beowulf9
...Now, instead of relying on an infant’s blood test results, hospital staff will only report a baby to state investigators if there’s concern about an imminent risk of abuse or neglect...

Deep State has an interesting definition of imminent, eh?

And, as usual, Big Med is willing for the shilling.

2 posted on 04/04/2024 8:38:16 AM PDT by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!)
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To: Beowulf9

Why even report child rape if minorities are involved?

Why even report murder, theft or rape if minorities are involved.

Why bother?


3 posted on 04/04/2024 8:38:22 AM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: Beowulf9

Finally in plain English why the black crime rate and incarceration rates are though the roof.


4 posted on 04/04/2024 8:39:05 AM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: Beowulf9

Backdoor eugenic is still eugenics.


5 posted on 04/04/2024 8:40:18 AM PDT by IllumiNaughtyByNature (The kernel of our firm's job is to go with lots. - tnlibertarian job offer letter)
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To: Beowulf9
Apparently, we must take care to not notice when an ethnic group ruins themselves.
What fools we are to get along with this stupidity.

6 posted on 04/04/2024 8:43:23 AM PDT by BitWielder1 (I'd rather have Unequal Wealth than Equal Poverty.)
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To: Beowulf9

Easing into after-birth abortions.


7 posted on 04/04/2024 8:43:45 AM PDT by moovova ("The NEXT election is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)
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To: Beowulf9

““The goal here is balancing the safety of infants and families,” said Dr. Sarah Wakeman...”

That is an absolute lie.


8 posted on 04/04/2024 8:44:36 AM PDT by moovova ("The NEXT election is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

Yep. If someone were to be creative there’s a way to show how racist this new policy is.

L


9 posted on 04/04/2024 8:45:08 AM PDT by Lurker ( Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: IllumiNaughtyByNature

These people are not interested in facts, only politics.


10 posted on 04/04/2024 8:46:15 AM PDT by csn vinnie
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To: Beowulf9

“...women report stopping medications like buprenorphine or methadone, which are used to treat addictions, during pregnancy. They say they fear traces of those medications in their newborns could cause them to lose custody of their babies.”


This is B.S. in my opinion. Women, and men for that matter, who are addicted to drugs like opioids are not known for their ability to sacrifice a current need for a future possibility or for that matter to stop taking drugs they’re currently addicted to.

Now, “we’re not reporting because it affects blacks more than white”, that I can believe. Besides the racism inherent of low expectations, how about the idea that it’s ok if black kids are born addicted to drugs and grow up in a family of addicts?


11 posted on 04/04/2024 8:47:55 AM PDT by hanamizu ( )
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To: Beowulf9

What next, a Federal policy exempting Blacks from any and all criminal laws.


12 posted on 04/04/2024 8:49:12 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: Beowulf9

Mission Accomplished.


13 posted on 04/04/2024 8:53:54 AM PDT by Karliner (Heb 4:12 Rom 8:28 Rev 3, "...This is the end of the beginning." Churchill)
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To: Beowulf9

“Mass General Brigham announced Tuesday it would no longer report to state welfare agencies when a baby is born with drugs in its system because substance abuse in pregnant mothers ‘disproportionately affects black people.’”

Tracking racial statistics “disproportionately affects black people”. So, we should STOP ALL tracking of racial statistics immediately.


14 posted on 04/04/2024 9:14:36 AM PDT by unlearner (I, Robot: I think I finally understand why Dr. Lanning created me... ;-)
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To: Beowulf9

So isn’t it “WASIS” to have a policy that ensures that all “black people” are born drug addicts and will be raised that way? HMMMMMMMMM? What’s the average single digit I.Q. in Massachusetts?


15 posted on 04/04/2024 9:16:25 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (I can't wait until the "media" is printing headlines like, "Trump Reverses Biden-era Policy.")
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To: Beowulf9

Political correctness (PC) kills. Wokeness kills. There is nothing benign about them. They are nihilistic belief systems.


16 posted on 04/04/2024 9:19:17 AM PDT by Mr. N. Wolfe
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To: Beowulf9
“disproportionately affects black people...."

Should be:

“disproportionately effected by black people...
17 posted on 04/04/2024 9:27:08 AM PDT by know.your.why (<>)
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Just another way the #ing Rats hide their malfeasance


18 posted on 04/04/2024 9:28:25 AM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist! )
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To: IllumiNaughtyByNature
Backdoor eugenic is still eugenics.

The leftists view crack and fentanyl as abortifacients. They'll ask China to step up the effectiveness.

19 posted on 04/04/2024 9:53:08 AM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: Beowulf9
“Mass General Brigham announced Tuesday it would no longer report to state welfare agencies when a baby is born with drugs in its system because substance abuse in pregnant mothers “disproportionately affects black people illustrates the disproportionate number of black women who use drugs while pregnant ,” Boston.com reports.”
20 posted on 04/04/2024 10:06:50 AM PDT by bk1000 (Banned from Breitbart)
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