Penn. Court Rules Mothers’ Drug use in Pregnancy isn’t Child Abuse (Live) 12-31-2018

The case revolves around a woman who gave birth to a child on Jan. 27, 2017. At the time of the birth, the woman tested positive for marijuana and subutex, an opioid medication used to treat addiction.

The child began showing symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome and severe withdrawal. The abuse allegation against the mother was based on the child’s stay in Williamsport Hospital for 19 days, during which she “suffered from withdrawal due to substances [the] mother ingested while [the] mother was pregnant with her.”