this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2024
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Susan Horton had been a stay-at-home mom for almost 20 years, and now—pregnant with her fifth child—she felt a hard-won confidence in herself as a mother.

Then she ate a salad from Costco.

Horton didn’t realize that she would be drug-tested before her child’s birth. Or that the poppy seeds in her salad could trigger a positive result on a urine drug screen, the quick test that hospitals often use to check pregnant patients for illicit drugs. Many common foods and medications—from antacids to blood pressure and cold medicines—can prompt erroneous results.

If Horton had been tested under different circumstances—for example, if she was a government employee and required to be tested as part of her job—she would have been entitled to a more advanced test and to a review from a specially trained doctor to confirm the initial result.

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[–] fartsparkles@sh.itjust.works 157 points 2 months ago (1 children)

And let me guess, she paid for the privilege of being forced to stay 5 days and having her baby taken away from her? Unless she’s got amazing insurance?

Honestly, I’m so glad to live somewhere with public health care.

[–] ravhall@discuss.online 36 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yes. However, she will get a payout in the end

[–] fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 61 points 2 months ago (1 children)

She will, but many MANY more won't be so privileged.

[–] girlfreddy@lemmy.ca 26 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Tbf I don't think she wants a payout ... she just wants her kid back (and maybe have the testing protocols updated to follow the science instead of the stupidity).

[–] Confused_Emus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 months ago

She did get her kid back. It’s in the article.

[–] girlfreddy@lemmy.ca 134 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)
[–] Wrench@lemmy.world 89 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There was even a Mythbuster episode where they confirmed it. IIRC, their test popped reliably after two bagels.

[–] Sarmyth@lemmy.world 35 points 2 months ago (7 children)

Yeah it was a good episode. They were blown away.

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[–] pixeltree@lemmy.blahaj.zone 21 points 2 months ago

I remember myth busters testing this

[–] deo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 2 months ago

Also that Seinfeld episode.

[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 129 points 2 months ago (1 children)

A lot of this article is about drug testing, but this also should remind people how much chaos one shitty, or overworked, nurse can cause.

[–] Aviandelight@mander.xyz 69 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Omg yes! I perform drug testing and I've had instances where nurses called CPS before we could give them a confirmation result causing mayhem for all involved. It makes me want to scream whenever I see screening tests used as evidence against people. Any hospital or government agency making those kinds of decisions based on a screen should be sued to high hell. Also fun fact really high levels of Benadryl will cause you to pop positive for PCP on most drug screens. I've had to talk a handful of pediatricians down about that over the years too.

[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 26 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I had a fun event a year ago where I woke up in a Covid ward after surgery because a nurse saw antibodies on a pre-surgery Covid test.

I had covid about a month before, that’s why I still had detectable antibodies. The doctors all knew that. That’s why they admitted me and performed the procedure.

You should have to clear something past an actual doctor if some things are going to get escalated.

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[–] feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world 53 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Hack writing but yeah, this is possible and I'm surprised there isn't a better test.

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 14 points 2 months ago

I think there is a better test. The cheap and fast one is tricked though. The fact they didn't do a more advanced test before taking her child is pretty fucked.

[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 34 points 2 months ago (8 children)

This is a long, long article, but it's 100% worth it. The entire thing is infuriating.

[–] ravhall@discuss.online 24 points 2 months ago (11 children)

Agreed.

It sucks for everyone involved too. The mothers, the doctors, the hospital, the caseworkers, all seem to be locked into a ridiculous position because of poor testing equipment, and overly protective laws.

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[–] Nuke_the_whales@lemmy.world 33 points 2 months ago (1 children)

So what happened?? There's no conclusion after her kid was taken

[–] deo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 59 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I heard her talking about it on NPR earlier today. She did get her kid back, but it was a whole fucking ordeal she and her family should have never had to go through in the first place (and thank god she had the resources to fight it)

[–] Saleh 18 points 2 months ago

Also lovely way to start a childs life. Instead of being at the chest of its mother, it gets to be with some overworked strangers, not getting breat fed and not feeling the physical closeness necessary to build a healthy sense of security.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 19 points 2 months ago (2 children)

For decades, state and federal laws have required hospitals across the country to identify newborns affected by drugs in the womb and to refer such cases to child protective services for possible investigation. To comply, hospitals often use urine drug screens that are inexpensive (as little as $10 per test), simple to administer (the patient pees in a cup), and provide results within minutes.

[–] girlfreddy@lemmy.ca 21 points 2 months ago

If Horton had been tested under different circumstances—for example, if she was a government employee and required to be tested as part of her job—she would have been entitled to a more advanced test and to a review from a specially trained doctor to confirm the initial result.

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