Hospitals Report Patients for Drug Use After Administering Meds During Childbirth

An investigation by The Marshall Project and Reveal found that hospitals across the U.S. are administering medications to birthing patients and then reporting them to child welfare authorities when drug tests show positive results for those same substances. This practice has led to child welfare investigations and even the removal of children from their parents, despite the medications being legally prescribed during labor. The issue is exacerbated by the lack of hospital policies to confirm test results or review patient medications before reporting, leading to calls for policy changes to protect patients from unwarranted investigations.