Criminalizing Reproduction: Attacks on Science, Medicine and the Right to Choose: Marshall Project scribe Shoshana Walters reports a nightmarish, scenario (right out of Kafka, but sadly, all too true) that mothers were reported to child welfare agencies abuse for child abuse after they were given medications used routinely for pain or in epidurals, to reduce anxiety or to manage blood pressure during cesarean sections, leading to loss of custody of their newborn babies - and loss of custody of their toddlers while child welfare investigates them for endangering their children with their supposed drug use.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  In recent years, I have taken on the  theme of 'criminalizing reproduction' - a natural theme for a Blog concerned with  flawed science in its myriad forms  - as I am utterly appalled by  the current movement in the United States (and some other countries) emboldened by the overturning of Roe Versus Wade,  towards imprisoning and conducting surveillance on women and their physicians and others who help them secure a safe abortion,  on the basis of sham science (or any other basis). I can’t remember the source, but agree  totally with the sentiment that control over their reproductive lives is far too important to women in America - or anywhere else -  so they can  participate  equally in the economic and social life of their nations without fear for  loss their freedom at the hands of political opportunists and fanatics. (Far too many of those those around these days.) '

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

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PASSAGE OF THE DAY: (Introduction: "Among its many virtues, journalism makes the unseen seen. Change doesn't happen if people don't know the problem exists. And women feel alone and may blame themselves somehow if they don't realize this isn't about them — it's a systemic problem that springs from the "war on drugs" of the 1980s, now turbocharged by the growing surveillance and criminalization of women since the end of Roe v. Wade."

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 INTRODUCTION: Carroll Bogart: President: The Marshall Project: "Imagine that you go into the hospital to deliver your baby and they give you an epidural that contains some fentanyl. Thank God, because labor is excruciating. And who knows what's in an epidural, anyway? I sure wasn't asking that question when I gave birth — I was yelling at them to hurry up.  Then the hospital calls a child welfare agency because you tested positive for opiates (the fentanyl), and you lose custody of your newborn baby. For months. You also lose custody of your toddler, while child welfare investigates you for endangering your children with your supposed drug use.  Wait, what?? How could this be? Almost inconceivable. Yet conceive it we must. Because it's happening to women all across the country. The example above describes the actual experience of a woman our reporter, Shoshana Walter, found in New York.  Shoshana's story this week follows a big investigation she published in September, about women whose newborns were taken away when drug tests turned up a false positive for all kinds of reasons, not just drugs administered by hospitals. Shoshana wrote about one mother who ate a poppy seed salad before going into labor and had her newborn taken away.  That story blew a lot of people's minds. It attracted more than a million readers on Apple News, our site, and via USA Today, which put it on the front page. Thousands more heard the podcast on Reveal, which has a radio network of more than 500 stations.  The story also triggered civil rights complaints in California and Pennsylvania, prompted congressmen to start asking questions, and ignited a firestorm of conversation among doctors and industry groups.  That kind of impact is gratifying and may lead to concrete changes in policy. But what really has stuck with me was the mail that Shoshana received: "I experienced the same situation in 2015 when my daughter was born," wrote one woman. "[I] was not aware it happens to so many other moms. The anxiety the incident left is indescribable and unfair."  "Thirty years ago the same thing happened to me," wrote another. "This is the first time I've seen any coverage of this issue."  Among its many virtues, journalism makes the unseen seen. Change doesn't happen if people don't know the problem exists. And women feel alone and may blame themselves somehow if they don't realize this isn't about them — it's a systemic problem that springs from the "war on drugs" of the 1980s, now turbocharged by the growing surveillance and criminalization of women since the end of Roe v. Wade.  In the New Year, we plan to invite members of The Marshall Project to a special session to hear how Shoshana conducted this reporting. Let me know if you want to join by responding to this email. Shoshana's investigation is a model of journalism done with tenacity and care. It took a special combination of relentlessness (have you ever tried to persuade someone to share medical records?) and gentleness. These women have been traumatized. Now, at least, they have finally been heard. And they know they are not alone.  (The entire introduction can be read at): 

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Read the full Marshall Project feature article at the link below:

HEADING: "Hospitals gave patients meds during childbirth, then reported them for positive drug tests."

SUB-HEADING: "Mothers were reported after they were given medications used routinely for pain or in epidurals, to reduce anxiety or to manage blood pressure during cesarean sections."

pregnant-hospital-drug-test-medicine

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PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic"  section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com.  Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.

SEE BREAKDOWN OF  SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG,  AT THE LINK BELOW:  HL:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985

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FINAL WORD:  (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases):  "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."

Lawyer Radha Natarajan:

Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;

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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions.   They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!

Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;