Hospitals Stop Reporting Newborns With Drugs In System Because It "Disproportionately Affects Black Individuals"

The Mass General Brigham Hospital system is making a major change and it will impact their youngest patients.

The hospital will no longer report suspected abuse or neglect to the state solely if a newborn baby tests positive for drugs after birth.

Instead, hospitals will now require written consent before conducting a drug test on the expectant mother or infant, in most cases.

Mass General Brigham said the move is to address the "racial and ethnic inequities" present in healthcare, adding that substance abuse disorder in the context of pregnancy more "disproportionately affects Black individuals."

Mass General Brigham said babies born with “substance exposure” alone will no longer be immediately reported to state welfare agencies unless there are other concerns the baby is abused or neglected. People can be treated with methadone or buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, which can be prescribed during pregnancy.

The hospital said studies show that Black pregnant people are more likely to be drug tested and reported to welfare agencies than white pregnant people. -Boston.com