Massachusetts Hospitals Revise Policy on Filing Neglect Reports for Babies with Drugs in Systems

Massachusetts hospital group, Mass General Brigham, will no longer automatically file child abuse or neglect reports for babies born with drugs in their systems, citing racial and ethnic inequities and aiming to reduce stigma and improve access to substance abuse treatment. The new policy requires reasonable cause to believe that the infant is suffering or at imminent risk of suffering physical or emotional injury before filing a report to the state, and written consent outside of emergencies before conducting a drug test on newborns or mothers. This change is in response to concerns that the previous reporting requirement disproportionately affected Black individuals and led some women to stop their opioid addiction medications out of fear of losing custody of their babies.