Bob/PKB
My grandson, David, tested positive for opiates, and has been in the NICU at one of our local hospitals since his birth on 1/24/14. His mother entered a treatment facility a couple of days ago. It will take weeks and weeks and weeks to get the heroin out of David's system. He improves daily, but the doctor tried to reduce his medication by amount and how often ("cleaning house") and David has displayed withdrawal symptoms again.
My son is doing everything to assure his son will go home with him, but when we met with "CPS", their focus was on getting the mother into treatment, and whether or not it would be a facility where she could have the baby with her.
I'm disgusted with what I've learned about "social services" and the fact that it is not a crime for a woman to use illegal drugs while pregnant in California. The fetus is not considered a child, so there is no child endangerment.
Question: DO YOU THINK A PREGNANT WOMAN WHO INFECTS HER CHILD WITH DRUGS OR ALCOHOL SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH A FELONY? SHOULD DOCTORS BE REQUIRED TO REPORT DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE BY A PREGNANT WOMAN? WHAT SHOULD THE PENALTY/CONSEQUENCE BE? Remember, many women aren't going to have spouse, family, or friend who can accept responsibility for the child.
I really feel like I am going to start a grass roots campaign to get some legislation going to protect unborn children. Of course, I'll want to call it "David's Law".
Any thoughts or experiences of your own about this? Thanks.
5 Answers
country bumpkin
One of my youngest cousins got his girlfriend pregnant about 5 years ago and she smoked pot and snorted cocaine during her entire pregnancy. Drugs were found in the babys system so she was not allowed to leave the hospital with her baby. My cousin went to jail a few days before his son was born awaiting a prison sentence so he could not take the baby home with him and he should not have been allowed to either because he was the one supplying her with the drugs while she was pregnant. The hospital or CPS released the baby into the mothers' sisters' care which was just stupid because this allowed the mother to have as much contact with the baby as she chose to when she chose to and in my personal opinion I think this was still placing the baby in harms way. That poor baby was not being taken care of properly with his mothers' side of the family in control of his well being and late one night the alcoholic grandmother called my other cousin and his wife (the babys uncle) and she asked them to please come take the baby. When my cousin arrived at the house they found the baby crying and he was in a filthy diaper because there were no more diapers left so he was kept in the same diaper for hours.
The mother was ordered by CPS to take random drug tests and to receive parenting classes before she could have her baby back. She was allowed supervised visitation rights with a CPS worker at my cousins house, but she missed several parenting classes and failed a couple of her drug tests. That baby was with my cousin and his wife for almost a year and they fell head over hills in love with that little baby and tried to adopt him, but CPS still gave that CLUELESS B!TCH full custody back.
If the parent continues to show positive for illegal drugs and shows no interest in taking classes to become a good parent then I believe that parent should have all rights taken away such as my cousins girlfriend. I agree with you Bob about the felony charges! David's Law - BRING IT ON!
| 10 years ago. Rating: 7 | |
Ducky
I've had no personal experience with this nor even been able to observe anyone who has. I can only comment that, in my opinion, when a baby is born drug addicted, the mother (and maybe the father as well in some cases) should be prosecuted for child abuse....at the very least.
| 10 years ago. Rating: 6 | |
I do agree with you, somebody (besides the child) needs to suffer some consequences.
jhharlan
In my experience, CPS sucks raw eggs. Cody’s ex-old-lady should be skinned alive and have salt rubbed into her wounds………..
| 10 years ago. Rating: 5 | |
sunnyB
Personally I don't think a woman who is found to be a drug addict should be allowed to have a baby , and should certainly not be allowed to keep it after the birth, until she comes off the crap completely. A child deserves a better start in life , irrespective of what the mothers putting into herself, the child deserves a proper life. Good luck with your campaign Bob , I'm sure you will have a lot of support.
| 10 years ago. Rating: 5 | |
clu
How sad! Drug addiction is probably the hardest of all things to handle. It makes no sense to most of us. I think addiction is a disease. I do not think charging a mother with a felony will ever stop an addict from using! Something does need to be done but it is hard to think about where to start. My sister was or is addicted to pain pills This started in her 20's and she is now 64 and still goes to every clinic and tells many stories to get her pills although she will say she doesn't. I can tell when she is buzzed when I talk to her on the phone sometimes. I am sorry to say I am glad she moved far away from me so I do not have to deal with this condition on a daily basis. I am so sorry for your tiny baby grandson! I hope he gets all the support he needs to grow to be a wonderful man.
| 10 years ago. Rating: 3 | |
(I plan to blast CPS once this is all behind us; give a baby back to a drug addict parent. Unbelievable)