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Months before she got pregnant, Jade Dass began taking Suboxone to treat her addiction to opioids. She researched and learned that the medication is safe during pregnancy, and doctors say staying on addiction treatment medication brings the best outcomes for mothers and their babies. So Jade stuck with it, maintained her sobriety and delivered a healthy baby girl.
But when the Suboxone showed up on her drug screen, the hospital reported her to the Arizona Department of Child Safety – and child protective services took away her days-old baby.
Reveal’s Shoshana Walter and Melissa Lewis investigated how often new mothers like Jade are reported for taking safe, prescribed medications – particularly those used to treat addiction. They found thousands of cases across the country, many leading to investigations and sometimes the removal of newborns. They also found women reported for taking other prescribed medications, including antidepressants, anxiety and ADHD medications.
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