cover image: The US Is Failing Substance-Exposed Infants

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The US Is Failing Substance-Exposed Infants

5 Apr 2024

Due to infrequent and inconsistent testing, there is no reliable count of how many infants are exposed to substances in utero, yet recent data on drug use and child fatalities signal an unmitigated crisis. Efforts to limit responsibility of Child Protective Services (CPS) for substance-exposed infants, including laws to prevent doctors from conducting toxicology screenings when there is reasonable suspicion the infant was exposed, severely diminish the likelihood that the parent and child will receive necessary care. Plans of Safe Care, voluntary offers of services seen as a more compassionate alternative to CPS involvement, are not backed by any evidence of their actual efficacy in keeping children safe.

Authors

Sarah Font, Naomi Schaefer Riley, Brett Drake, Emily Putnam-Hornstein, Maura Corrigan, Maralyn Beck, John Walters, Cassie Statuto-Bevan, Jerry Haag, Herbie Newell, Tom Rawlings, Greg McKay, Jim Dwyer, Marie Cohen, Ryan Hanlon, Elizabeth Bartholet, Sean Hughes, Jeanne Banghart, Bob Bruder-Mattson, Rich Gehrman, Leslie Ford, Jedd Medefind, Ronald Richter, Allicia Frye, Eloise Anderson

Published in
United States of America